Why social media has become an election issue in Brazil’s presidential race

In the race to be Brazil’s next president, the final two candidates are appealing to voters not only at rallies but online as well.On Sunday, incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will face right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in the final round of the election.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Meta, Facebook to drop fact-checkers: What does this mean for social media?list 2 of 3Bolsonaro’s election fraud claims spark ‘unprecedented crisis’list 3 of 3Brazil leaders condemn ‘terrorist acts’, vow to defend democracyend of listThe race is expected to be tight. But in its final days, questions have festered over whether the digital arena has been a level playing field for the two candidates.The social media giant Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, has faced accusations before Brazil’s top election authority, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), that it suppressed Lula’s content and favoured material promoting Bolsonaro.Meta’s products rank among the most popular social media platforms in Brazil, and political ad spending on its sites has grown at a breakneck pace.An analysis from the Brazilian news outlet G1 found that Meta received at least 288m Brazi...