The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) of Brazil has mandated that Meta pay a fine of approximately $1.3 million following allegations made by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula claimed that the tech giant engaged in “algorithmic manipulation” favoring his opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro, in the lead-up to the October 25 runoff election.
The court’s decision was unanimous, citing Meta’s failure to meet deadlines and lack of transparency in an investigation ordered by the court. However, Marco Aurelio, the court’s reporting judge, indicated that there was no evidence found of any deliberate action by Meta to influence the election outcome.
Despite the allegations, Meta denied wrongdoing but acknowledged that certain campaign ads from Lula had been incorrectly deactivated due to technical issues. Following his election victory, Lula stated his intent to implement regulations on social media companies.
Flávio Bolsonaro, who did not accept the election results, has reportedly fled to the United States amid ongoing investigations into allegations against him related to money laundering.
