Independent tests by reporters found that Meta AI on WhatsApp accepted requests to create campaign images for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro while blocking equivalent requests for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The chatbot refused prompts such as "Lula 13" and blocked "Vote Lula" or "Vote Luiz Inácio," yet generated posters reading "Flávio 22" and continued producing "Vote Flávio" material. The tool itself attributed the mismatch to an automatic safety filter. Further testing showed a geographic and number-based discrepancy: accounts without Brazilian area codes (used in the United States, Argentina and Germany) were able to generate Lula images, including ones with photos, while accounts tied to Brazilian phone numbers - even when operating abroad - were blocked.
Meta responded that it has temporarily prohibited recommendations of candidates and generation of images of them to comply with Brazil’s election rules, and said the senator images appeared because prompts using only "Flávio" were not recognized as candidate requests; the company said it took additional measures afterward. Campaign representatives for Lula filed complaints with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and planned to go to the national data protection authority (ANPD); the TSE ordered Meta to provide technical explanations and preserve records. Meta denies deliberate interference and asserts it treats candidates equally.
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