The campaign of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva filed a formal complaint Saturday against Meta, alleging the technology company favored his rival Flávio Bolsonaro during the country's election.
The campaign submitted the complaint to Brazil's Superior Electoral Court and the National Data Protection Agency, citing what it described as "evidence" of Meta's alleged bias. Meta owns Facebook and Instagram.
According to the campaign statement, several of Lula's posts published this week experienced "interruptions" in the number of recorded views, which negatively affected their reach on the platforms. The campaign also alleged that Meta prevented Lula's official account from promoting content on Instagram starting Friday.
The allegations emerged as Brazil's election entered a critical phase, with polling showing a tight race between the two candidates. Lula, the incumbent president seeking reelection, characterized the situation as interference by the multinational corporation in the electoral process.
The campaign's decision to pursue legal action through both the electoral tribunal and the data protection agency reflects the seriousness with which it views the alleged restrictions on its social media presence during the campaign period.