Judge Mendonça bans advertising of video against Lula — The Rio Times

In Brazil, Supreme Electoral Court judge André Mendonça prohibited the election campaign of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro from paying to promote a video criticizing President Lula. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, was given three hours to stop the paid distribution of the video, The Rio Times reports.

The restriction concerns paid promotion

According to the publication, the video began circulating on October 11. Its caption accuses Lula of having “abandoned Brazil” and also promises to “save the country.” The judge ordered the cessation of paid promotion of the video and its caption, and also prohibited placing new paid advertisements with identical text through any service provider.

The video itself is not banned and may remain online for organic distribution without payment. The Brasil Pronto Pra Mais coalition, which supports Lula and his vice-presidential candidate Geraldo Alckmin, filed the court petition.

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Previous fine

Earlier, Bolsonaro’s campaign had already been fined 5,000 reais for paid promotion of material with the same caption during the first round of the election. This is the minimum fine provided for by Brazil’s electoral legislation for violating rules on paid online promotion.

Article 57-C of Law No. 9,504 of 1997 allows political parties, coalitions, and candidates to pay for online promotion only to popularize or support their own candidacy or party. Violations are punishable by a fine of between 5,000 and 30,000 reais, or an amount twice as high as the advertising expenditure if that amount is greater.

Mendonça’s decision was made individually and referred to the full bench of the Supreme Electoral Court. The second round of Brazil’s presidential election is scheduled for October 25, in which Lula is to compete against Flávio Bolsonaro.