Brazil’s highest electoral court unanimously voted to penalize Meta 7.5 million reals, roughly 1.3 million dollars, for failing to meet investigation deadlines.
The Superior Electoral Court found the tech company lacked transparency during inquiries into the presidential election. Meta operates Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
The penalty stems from allegations that Meta interfered in the Brazilian presidential race. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won that election and claimed the firm manipulated algorithms.
Lula alleged the platform boosted the election prospects of his rival, Flávio Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro refused to accept his runoff defeat and fled to the United States, according to lsm.lv reporting.
Court finds no proof of intentional election interference
The electoral court’s reporting judge, Justice Marcoul Aureliu, stated the court found no proof of intentional actions to swing the election results. Meta previously rejected the accusations of deliberate interference.
The company acknowledged that technical glitches led to the removal of some campaign advertisements run by Lula. Lula criticized the industry after his victory, stating, “Mums būs jāregulē šie uzņēmumi,” which translates to the need to regulate these companies.
Questions About the Meta Fine
Why did the electoral court fine Meta?
The Superior Electoral Court imposed the 7.5 million real penalty because Meta missed investigative deadlines and failed to maintain proper transparency.
Did the court prove Meta intentionally altered the election?
Justice Aureliu said that investigators found no evidence of a deliberate attempt by the technology company to influence the final vote.
How did Meta respond to the claims?
Meta rejected accusations of election meddling, though the firm admitted that technical errors caused the deletion of certain campaign ads.
Superior Electoral Court imposes 7.5 million real penalty
The penalty totals 7.5 million reals, equivalent to roughly 1.3 million dollars or 1.2 million euros. The unanimous ruling came from the Superior Electoral Court bench in Brazil.
“Mums būs jāregulē šie uzņēmumi,” said Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
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