Meta Workers Confirm Restrictions on Lula Accounts During Brazil Election; Court Orders Equal Treatment
Internal reports confirm Meta directed users toward Bolsonaro’s official profiles and chat services during Brazil’s pivotal ballot race.
Published On 16 Oct 2026
Meta employees confirmed through internal channels that the Instagram accounts of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva experienced negative impacts due to election‑related limitations, according to media reports.
The reported messages, disclosed by the São Paulo newspaper Folha de S Paulo on Friday, indicated that Meta had promoted the profile of Lula’s opponent, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, along with his WhatsApp account. The publication, based in São Paulo, referenced documents examined in its investigation.
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Meta stated to Reuters that the technical issues described in the report were already public matter, and the exchanges involved merely reflected the severity of those problems—not political tampering.
“Any suggestion that Meta favors one side is false,” the company said in a statement.
Lula, the left‑wing incumbent, will contest the presidency against right‑wing challenger Bolsonaro in a runoff scheduled for 25 October, after the senator secured a strong showing in the initial round earlier this month.
Friday’s report arrived shortly after a Brazilian judicial decision ordered Meta to take swift action ensuring equal treatment of the two candidates before the runoff.
A judgment issued by a justice seated in Brazil’s supreme electoral tribunal was made on Thursday and came weeks after Lula filed a complaint alleging that the technology giant—owner of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp—had employed biased algorithms and restrictive AI tools to advantage the opposition candidate.
Judge Marco Aurelio Bellizze ruled that Meta may not curtail the distribution of political content, suppress search results, or eliminate posts in a manner that distorts the balance between Lula and Bolsonaro. He also mandated that the company deploy uniform AI criteria for both campaigns.
The judge added that non‑compliance would attract a daily fine of 500,000 reais (approximately US $98,700).
Lula’s support circle has noted that several of his posts lacked share functionality and achieved reduced reach, while reaction options, live streams, and fast‑forward playback were missing. These deficiencies contributed to the platform under review.
