Brazil's Lula accuses social media giant Meta of election interference amid tight run-off campaign
Social media platform Meta has 48 hours to respond to claims by Brazil's leftwing candidate and incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's campaign accusing the tech platform of blocking content on the company's platforms. Brazil's Superior Electoral Court on Saturday gave the social media giant 48 hours to clarify whether it reduced the reach of posts by Lula's campaign ahead of the tight Oc
"The series of technical issues... raises strong suspicions that Meta's actions constitute an attempt to interfere in the Brazilian electoral process to the benefit of Flavio Bolsonaro's candidacy," the statement added.
Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) on Saturday gave the social media giant 48 hours to clarify whether it reduced the reach of posts by Lula's campaign and to explain the irregularities reported.
Meta was ordered to "report, profile by profile, all the measures applied" to "Lula's official accounts" and to "explain the anomalies in the metrics" of the videos, the TSE said.
Meta's Brazil office denied the charges, calling them "simply false" and "not supported by the facts".
"We comply with electoral regulations and are committed to a level playing field regarding the use of our platforms."
Lula's campaign has filed a complaint with the electoral court over the alleged social media blocks.
Following the first round of voting, Lula – who does not use a mobile phone – launched a social media push that includes videos of him addressing his online followers.
