Meta was fined 7.5 million reals by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court on Tuesday, November 10, over unequal treatment between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his rival Flavio Bolsonaro during the presidential election campaign.
The unanimous penalty from the court amounts to approximately 1.2 million euros. Judges determined that the technology giant failed to respect deadlines and did not provide complete transparency regarding content distribution on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
- Digital Governance: Brazil’s highest electoral body penalizes Meta for unequal platform access and algorithmic disparities affecting opposing political candidates.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured a surprise victory over Flavio Bolsonaro during the presidential runoff on October 25. Throughout the race, Lula’s campaign publicly denounced what it characterized as direct interference by Meta to favor his right-wing opponent, who enjoyed the backing of Donald Trump.
Despite imposing the substantial financial penalty, the Superior Electoral Court stopped short of declaring that Meta executed a deliberate plot to distort the electoral outcome. Judge rapporteur Marco Aurélio Bellizze said that the court did not find proof of an intentional action to rig the ballot.
Following his electoral win, Lula committed to strengthening regulations governing social media networks across Brazil. Under his administration, a stringent legal framework holds technology enterprises legally responsible for the digital content disseminated by their users.
During the tribunal proceedings, Lula’s campaign attorney Angelo Ferraro argued before the Superior Electoral Court that Meta functioned effectively as a political agent. Ferraro accused the corporation of engaging in algorithmic manipulation designed to penalize Lula through severe operational irregularities.
In response, Meta denied taking sides in the contest. The company attributed platform discrepancies to technical issues that it maintained did not exclusively impact Brazil.
Appearing before the court, Meta attorney Patricia Marta Martins labeled allegations of political interference as false and unfounded. Martins asserted that the company had fully complied with all judicial requirements set out by the tribunal.
Earlier in the campaign, the Superior Electoral Court ordered Meta to implement measures ensuring equitable content distribution for both candidates. All seven judges ultimately concurred with Judge Bellizze’s assessment that the enterprise missed mandatory deadlines.
The court found that Meta withheld transparent data by submitting records that were incomplete, generic, or written in foreign languages. These procedural failures formed the primary basis for the unanimous fine.
Following his refusal to acknowledge the election results, senator Bolsonaro departed Brazil for the United States. He currently faces a police investigation regarding suspected money laundering while operating from Miami, where he continues to style himself as the true leader of Brazil.
- Yahoo! Actualités. “La justice brésilienne a infligé, mardi 10 novembre, une amende au géant des technologies Meta…”
- Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE).
Earlier coverage: Brazil Fines Meta for Unequal Treatment of Lula and Bolsonaro During Election
