Lula, Bolsonaro ordered to call off attempts at online censorship

Brazil’s electoral court on Tuesday warned president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and senator Flavio Bolsonaro to call off their legal showdown over social media in their presidential campaigns.

The campaigns of the bitter rivals have filed a record number of censorship requests over what they call online misinformation from the opposing camp.

Bolsonaro, son of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, is the favourite to win the Oct25 runoff after his narrow victory over the leftist Lula in the first round of voting.

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) warned campaign representatives from either side that the “judicialisation of the electoral process” risked “restricting debate,” according to a statement sent to AFP.

The TSE registered 162 legal challenges after the first round of voting on Oct 4, more than triple the number during the same period ahead of the 2022 elections.

One of the controversies involves the WhatsApp channel “Lula’s Army,” which was created by a pro-Lula congressman and has over 4 million followers.

Bolsonaro’s supporters accuse the channel of spreading misinformation, including allegedly claiming that the senator would cut social benefits if elected.

Lula’s campaign denies the accusations.

“I’m going to create Lula’s Army, Navy and Air Force on WhatsApp; it’s the cheapest way to campaign,” Lula said on Monday in response to the controversy.

The TSE has authorised the channel.

Lula’s Workers’ Party, in turn, denounced “interference” by tech giant Meta in the election after it restricted some of its Instagram content.

The TSE requested explanations from the company, which cited “technical problems” worldwide.

Lula’s campaign also complained that Gemini, Google’s AI tool, attributed false statements to the incumbent.

After losing the first round, Lula made a point of meeting with politicians with millions of followers and proclaimed himself “king of the selfie,” despite having, until now, refused to use a cellphone.

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