Brazil’s presidential election has entered a new legal confrontation just days before Sunday’s runoff. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election coalition filed a lawsuit with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) on Wednesday, October 21, seeking to invalidate the presidential ticket headed by Flávio Bolsonaro and his running mate, Alfredo Gaspar, over alleged economic abuse and improper use of digital media.
The filing does not mean Bolsonaro’s candidacy has been cancelled. It is a request for a judicial investigation and eventual sanctions; the allegations remain contested and require examination by the court. Lula and Bolsonaro are due to contest the second round on October 25, 2026.
What Lula’s coalition is alleging
In the 139-page court document (including its cover sheet), the Brasil Pronto pra Mais coalition alleges that social-media recommendation systems, artificial-intelligence tools and advertising enforcement on Meta’s platforms and X produced unequal treatment of the two presidential campaigns.
According to the petition, the alleged pattern included disproportionate distribution of pro-Bolsonaro material, restrictions affecting Lula-linked accounts and political advertising, and AI-generated election content. The filing cites a network of 255 accounts, 1,204 posts and 58.6 million views in one month. These figures are claims presented in the lawsuit, not independent findings by the TSE.
The coalition also refers to a reported R$600,000 payment by Bolsonaro’s campaign to cybersecurity company Elytron and to research concerning political advertisements paid for in foreign currency. The petition argues that these elements should be investigated together under Brazilian rules on abuse of economic power and misuse of communications media.
What the lawsuit asks the electoral court to do
The action, registered as AIJE 0603276-73.2026.6.00.0000, names Flávio Bolsonaro and vice-presidential candidate Alfredo Gaspar as respondents, with Meta’s Brazilian company and X Brazil listed as interested third parties. It was assigned to TSE electoral inspector-general Justice Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva.
For the immediate period before the runoff, Lula’s coalition requests preservation of platform records, technical explanations from the companies, and urgent measures to prevent unequal treatment of the rival campaigns. It also seeks relief for what it describes as lost paid advertising reach.
For the final decision, it asks the court to cancel Bolsonaro and Gaspar’s candidate registration or, if applicable after the vote, their electoral diplomas. The filing also seeks eight-year ineligibility sanctions against Bolsonaro and other individuals named in its allegations, subject to the legal findings in each case.
A petition is not a court ruling. Whether the evidence supports the allegations, whether urgent measures are justified, and whether any later sanction can be imposed are separate questions for the electoral authorities.
Meta rejects allegations of political favoritism
Meta has denied deliberately interfering in the election or favoring either candidate, attributing reported problems to different technical causes. The company has said its systems are not designed or operated to give preferential treatment to a political candidate or party.
The TSE confirmed on October 20 that a separate proceeding had already led to a meeting between Justice Marco Aurélio Bellizze, Meta representatives and both presidential campaigns over compliance with an order requiring equal treatment on digital platforms. That earlier action should not be confused with the newly filed investigation seeking cancellation of Bolsonaro’s ticket.
Legal disputes on both sides
The Bolsonaro campaign has also brought election-law complaints against Lula and his allies. Its own filings have alleged, among other things, prohibited use of union resources and improper digital campaigning. Those are likewise allegations subject to judicial review, not established findings.
The dispute reflects the growing importance of social-media distribution and AI-generated content in Brazil’s 2026 campaign. With the runoff only days away, the immediate judicial focus is likely to be on evidence preservation and any urgent remedies, while the wider investigation may outlast election day.
What happens next in Brazil’s runoff?
Voters are scheduled to decide between Lula and Bolsonaro on Sunday, October 25. The election continues under the existing legal arrangements unless the TSE issues a decision changing them.
Follow Votendi’s Brazil 2026 election hub and polling tracker for survey updates, and read our October 21 analysis of the latest Brazil runoff polls for the current polling context.
Sources: the filed TSE petition (October 21), TSE statement (October 20), and Poder360 reporting (October 21).
