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Brazil’s President Lula Accuses Meta of Helping His Right-Wing Opponent
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Less than two weeks before Brazil's presidential runoff, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and independent watchdogs accuse Meta of favoring his right-wing rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, on its social media platforms.
- The accusations include claims that search results omit progressive activists, videos critical of Bolsonaro are removed without explanation, and pro-Lula posts have reduced reach.
- Lula’s campaign filed a complaint with Brazil’s electoral court demanding fair online treatment, alleging Meta is practicing illegal algorithmic selectivity during the election.
- Meta denies political bias, attributing reported issues to technical glitches and dismissing independent research findings as anecdotal and unverifiable.
- Meta emphasized that minor technical problems are being misrepresented as political bias, maintaining it does not operate its systems to harm or favor any candidate.
