Meta denied interfering in Brazil's presidential election on Oct. 16, blaming "technical glitches" for complaints from Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's re-election campaign. Lula will face Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in the Oct. 25 runoff.
The row started when Lula's campaign accused Meta of cutting the reach of its posts while favouring the rival. Brazil's Superior Electoral Court, under Judge Marco Aurélio Belizé, then ordered Meta to treat both candidates equally ahead of the vote, with a daily fine of 500,000 reais (about US$93,000) for non-compliance.
Meta rejected the bias claims, stating: "Meta does not take sides in this or any election", and calling the allegations "false and unfounded". It said its systems do not rank content by political ideology.
The firm acknowledged recent glitches, including the wrongful suspension of a Lula campaign ad account on Sept. 23. It insisted the errors were not politically motivated and has submitted technical evidence to the court.
Lula's campaign plans to escalate the complaint to the OAS, the European Union and the Parliament of Mercosur. Judge Belizé said there is no proof yet of deliberate manipulation, but safeguards are needed for a fair election.
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