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Brazil Electoral Court Judge Orders Meta to Treat Lula and Bolsonaro Equally, Including Its AI Tool, AP Reports

Bot Mutiny | October 19, 2026

A judge on Brazil's top electoral court ruled on Thursday, October 15, 2026, that Meta must take measures to immediately secure equal treatment of the two presidential candidates ahead of the October 25 runoff, The Associated Press reported in a story carried by NBC News. The order followed a complaint from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who accused the owner of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp of using biased algorithms and AI restrictions to favor his opponent, Flavio Bolsonaro.

What the ruling requires

According to the AP, Justice Marco Aurelio Bellizze ruled that Meta cannot reduce the distribution of political content, restrict searches or remove posts in a way that creates an imbalance between Lula and Bolsonaro. The ruling also orders the company to ensure that its artificial intelligence tool applies identical criteria to both candidacies.

If Meta fails to comply, Bellizze said, it must pay a fine of 500,000 reais, about $98,000, per day, the AP reported.

What the Lula campaign alleges

The AP said it had access to the campaign's legal filing. The filing says Meta has subjected Lula's campaign materials and organic posts to "unjustified reductions in reach," and that Meta has not complied with a plan it submitted to the electoral court to address these issues.

The campaign also argues that accounts and advertisements associated with Bolsonaro have reportedly received artificially inflated visibility, with engagement metrics rivaling those of global celebrities. Its complaint further claims a disparity in Meta's AI tools: users failed to generate campaign images related to the 80-year-old president through the "Meta AI" feature on WhatsApp, but were able to do so to promote content supporting Bolsonaro.

Gean Ferreira and Evelyn Santos, both lawyers for the Lula campaign, said in a statement: "On one hand, content from candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his supporters faces delivery restrictions, without any justification or transparency." They added that "profiles acting as political operatives for the opposing side ... receive a disproportionate and artificial reach, garnering more views even than global celebrities."

According to the AP, the campaign wants the court to order an immediate end to the content restrictions and to pressure Meta to make up for the lost traction by doubling its reach.

Meta's response

Meta declined to comment on the ruling, the AP reported. On October 11, as Lula's voters started complaining about their use of Meta tools, the company told the electoral court that it rejects the accusations of being skewed toward Bolsonaro. The AP said Meta admitted it has faced technical glitches that affect accounts beyond Brazil. It also said it acts in full compliance with Brazil's electoral regulations and is committed to providing equal platform access for all political parties.

What the ruling does and does not establish

The AP's account describes an order requiring equal treatment going forward. It does not report a finding that Meta favored either candidate, and the campaign's claims about reach and AI image generation are allegations in a legal filing; Meta told the court on October 11 that it rejects accusations of bias.

Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, won 47% of the vote against 45% for the incumbent in the first round on October 4, the AP reported, and the two are in a close race for the presidency. The AP described Bolsonaro as an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.

For related coverage of Meta's AI products, see the Meta Muse AI agent.