Brazil Elections: How AI, Meta and Evangelicals Could Sway the Presidential Race for Bolsonaro

Brazilian voters are heading to the polls on Sunday for the presidential runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and far-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, with polls showing a tight race that will decide whether Brazil remains led by the left or joins the right-wing surge across Latin America.

According to The Intercept Brasil, Bolsonaro’s campaign paid 600,000 Brazilian reais (about $119,000 USD) to a U.S. company, Elytron, that specializes in election manipulation, including through online disinformation and “psychological warfare techniques” to undermine opponents.

Reporter Laís Martins says that while it’s not clear whether or how the Bolsonaro campaign used Elytron’s services, it adds to suspicion of U.S. interference in the election, including Meta’s restrictions on President Lula’s social media profiles. “We’ve seen evidence pile up that something is not right, that this playing field is not equal,” says Martins.