BRASILIA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Supreme Federal Court on Tuesday ordered the Federal Police to investigate possible foreign interference in the country's electoral process.
The decision, issued by Justice Flavio Dino, points to signs that algorithms on digital platforms were manipulated to benefit conservative candidate Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party, and handicap President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party, who was reelected in a runoff vote on Sunday.
Dino said the evidence indicates an "intensification in indications of foreign interference in the electoral process."
The allegations involve Meta -- the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram -- and X, owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, following reports that their algorithms were deliberately skewed.
Dino also noted Bolsonaro's campaign may have received foreign funding, which is prohibited under Brazilian electoral law.
The suspicion of foreign funding centers on dealings between the Rockbridge Network, a U.S.-based conservative group with ties to the Republican Party, and Brazilian businessmen Tallis Gomes and Pedro Sang, the latter reportedly serving as the group's CEO in Brazil.
The probe will also examine who was responsible for purchasing political advertising and placing election-related bets through foreign platforms, such as Polymarket, as well as potential ties between political financing and economic interests in Brazil's critical minerals and rare earths.
The court order follows complaints filed by the ruling Workers' Party and the right-wing Mission Party, whose presidential candidate Renan Santos was eliminated in the first round. ■
