Brazil Electoral Prosecutor urges social media firms to curb election misinformation

The Brazilian Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office (MP Eleitoral) issued a formal recommendation to major digital platforms—including Meta, Google, Microsoft, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Kwai and Flickr—calling for immediate action against disinformation and political violence ahead of the 2026 elections. Signed by Vice‑Prosecutor‑General Alexandre Espinosa, the document bases its demands on Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE) resolutions, Supreme Court rulings, and federal decrees.

Key measures require platforms to delete illicit posts and accounts without a new court order, label any content generated by artificial intelligence, and prohibit deep‑fake material featuring candidates within 72 hours before and 24 hours after voting. Companies must preserve removed content for investigations, establish a permanent, Portuguese‑language reporting channel, ban paid promotion of illegal content, detect and block fake accounts, bots and coordinated networks, and limit micro‑targeted political advertising that uses sensitive voter data. They are also required to provide transparency reports, maintain a public repository of political ads, and develop compliance plans proportional to their size, subject to audits.

The recommendation emphasizes that platforms could be held liable for third‑party content and must cooperate with electoral authorities to safeguard the integrity of Brazil’s forthcoming election process.