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Big Tech platforms violated Brazilian electoral rules during 2026 elections
A study by NetLab/UFRJ has revealed that major technology platforms failed to comply with Brazilian electoral regulations during the first round of the 2026 elections. According to the findings, Meta, Kwai, and Google continued to host irregular political advertisements during the restricted period, which prohibits paid or boosted propaganda from 48 hours before to 24 hours after the vote.
Specifically, the report identified 568 irregular advertisements on Meta platforms. Among these, six ads falsely simulated official communications from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to promote a fraudulent remote voting service, attempting to trick users into providing personal data like CPF numbers. Additionally, the study found that TikTok and YouTube irregularly recommended candidate videos through their recommendation algorithms during the restricted window.
As the second round of the 2026 elections approaches, candidates are resuming campaign activities, including rallies, parades, and paid internet advertising, subject to specific legal timeframes and limits. The second round, scheduled for October 25, will also feature free radio and television advertising starting October 9.
Entities
AtlasIntel · Brazil · Datafolha · Federal University of Rio de Janeiro · Google · Kwai · Meta · NetLab UFRJ · NetLab/UFRJ · Netlab · PoderData · Superior Electoral Court
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 15 SOURCES] TSE regulations prohibit paid or boosted electoral propaganda on the internet from 48 hours before to 24 hours after the election. www.acessa.com · jornalfolhalitoral.com.br · portalrbn.com.br · tribunadaserra.com.br · www.vivergoias.com.br · +9 more
- [● 14 SOURCES] NetLab/UFRJ identified irregular political advertisements on Meta, Kwai, and Google platforms during the first round of the 2026 elections. www.acessa.com · jornalfolhalitoral.com.br · portalrbn.com.br · tribunadaserra.com.br · www.vivergoias.com.br · +8 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] Electoral rules require platforms to exclude specific candidate channels and profiles from recommendation algorithms during the restricted period. www.acessa.com · jornalfolhalitoral.com.br · portalrbn.com.br · tribunadaserra.com.br · www.vivergoias.com.br · +7 more
- [● 14 SOURCES] The study identified 18 active electoral advertisements on the Kwai platform on the day of the election. www.acessa.com · jornalfolhalitoral.com.br · portalrbn.com.br · tribunadaserra.com.br · extra.globo.com · +8 more
- [● 14 SOURCES] Six advertisements falsely simulated official communications from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to promote fake remote voting. www.acessa.com · jornalfolhalitoral.com.br · portalrbn.com.br · tribunadaserra.com.br · www.vivergoias.com.br · +8 more
- [● 14 SOURCES] TikTok and YouTube were found to have irregularly recommended candidate videos during the restricted period. www.acessa.com · jornalfolhalitoral.com.br · portalrbn.com.br · tribunadaserra.com.br · www.vivergoias.com.br · +8 more
- [● 14 SOURCES] Monitoring was conducted using manual searches and computational tools via ad libraries and APIs. www.acessa.com · jornalfolhalitoral.com.br · portalrbn.com.br · tribunadaserra.com.br · www.vivergoias.com.br · +8 more
- [● 14 SOURCES] A total of 568 irregular advertisements were identified on Meta platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Audience Network. www.acessa.com · jornalfolhalitoral.com.br · portalrbn.com.br · tribunadaserra.com.br · www.vivergoias.com.br · +8 more