As Brazil prepares for its Sunday, Oct. 25, runoff, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and challenger Flávio Bolsonaro have each asked the country’s top electoral court to disqualify the other over alleged online campaign misconduct.
Bolsonaro’s lawyers filed their petition Tuesday, alleging that Lula abused his power by using WhatsApp to share government messages promoting social programs and initiatives during the campaign. The petition also asks that Lula and Communications Minister Sidônio Palmeira be barred from public office for eight years. Lula’s campaign filed its petition Wednesday, accusing Bolsonaro of abusing economic power and misusing social networks.
It alleges that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, manipulated its platforms to disadvantage Lula’s campaign. Meta denies intentional political bias. The company has said some Lula campaign ads were mistakenly deactivated because of technical errors.
The electoral court had ordered Meta to treat both candidates equally. The company says it has complied. The legal fight comes after Bolsonaro led Lula 47% to 45% in the first round.
Polls indicate a close runoff. The accusations remain claims in competing petitions, not findings that either candidate broke election rules. The court must assess the challenges as voters prepare to choose between them.