Brazilian Electoral Courts Crack Down on Deepfake and Defamation Campaigns

The Regional Electoral Court of Bahia (TRE-BA) has imposed penalties on individuals and media outlets for circulating AI‑generated deepfake videos targeting governor Jerônimo Rodrigues, former Salvador mayor ACM Neto and other politicians. Convicted comedian Gabriel Bandarra and deputy Capitão Alden were ordered to pay a R$30,000 fine and remove the content, while a radio station and several Instagram profiles linked to opposition figures also faced sanctions.

In Mato Grande do Sul, the Electoral Prosecutor's Office asked the Regional Electoral Court of Mato Grosso (TRE‑MT) to convict former prosecutor Pedro Taques for a coordinated, paid defamation campaign on Instagram and Facebook against former governor Mauro Mendes and federal deputy Fabio Garcia. The prosecutor highlighted that the sponsored posts falsely alleged criminal activity, violated election‑law provisions and could skew voter perception, and sought fines for each illegal boosted post and a ban on further similar content.

Both cases illustrate expanding enforcement of Brazil’s electoral regulations against misinformation, deepfakes and paid negative campaigning as the state elections approach.