First published Oct 23, 2026, 10:06:15 AM UTC · Last updated Oct 23, 2026, 10:06:15 AM UTC

Sanders and Democratic lawmakers ask Meta to explain alleged favouritism towards Bolsonaro

Bernie Sanders and 11 other Democratic lawmakers asked Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg to explain alleged unequal treatment of the campaigns of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. The campaigns were facing each other in Brazil’s presidential runoff.

At a glance

Affected location: Brazil

Illustrative image: Hollywood Granite - jaspilite meta-BIF (locally called itabirite) from the Paleoproterozoic-aged Minas Supergroup in the Iron Quadrangle District in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. BIFs in the Iron Quadrangle have long been mined as a source of iron ore. Recently, BIFs there have been quarried as a source of attractive, high-priced, and very-heavy-for-their-size decorative stones. Banded iron formations, or BIFs, are extinct, marine sedimentary rocks (most have been well metamorphosed) that usually — James St. John/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

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Why it matters

The request concerns alleged differences in campaign treatment on Meta platforms during Brazil’s presidential runoff.

Generated scores

Scores are based on the cited reporting and use a 1–10 scale. Read the methodology.

Confidence: 5/10How certain the assessment is based on the clarity and evidence in the cited reporting.
Geographic reach: 6/10How widely the event reaches, from a local area (1) to worldwide impact (10).
Global importance: 3/10The event's broader significance, from limited importance (1) to major global importance (10).
Impact magnitude: 2/10The scale or severity of the real-world impact, from minor (1) to extreme (10).
Urgency: 2/10How time-sensitive the event is, from low urgency (1) to immediate attention needed (10).

Primary official sources

MercoPress UK Sanders and Democratic lawmakers ask Meta to explain alleged favouritism towards Bolsonaro

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