Politics · Brazil · 3 hrs ago
Study finds 1,613 irregular political ads on Meta platforms in Brazil
A study found 1,613 irregular political ads on Meta platforms in Brazil between July and September 2026.
The research was conducted by NetLab, a lab at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and covered Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The ads were paid for by 187 advertisers, with about R$2 million in total spending and 171.1 million impressions.
Brazilian election rules prohibit political ads paid for by foreign sources and restrict who may promote election ads; some ads also lacked required labels or payer details.
Researchers said the ads could affect Brazil's election process and argued that Meta acted only after the ads had reached people.
Meta said it later reclassified or removed ads that violated its policies, and noted that the study included ads shown before the official campaign period.
A study by NetLab at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro found at least 1,613 irregular political ads on Meta platforms in Brazil between July and September 2026.
The ads were promoted by 187 advertisers and generated about R$2 million in spending.
The study said the ads broke electoral rules, including restrictions on foreign-funded political advertising and on who may promote political ads.
It also found ads that lacked required political-ad labels or payer information.
Meta said the ads were later recategorized or removed when they violated its policies.
- Who
- NetLab at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro conducted the study. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, ran the ads.
- What
- The study found at least 1,613 irregular political ads on Meta platforms in Brazil.
- When
- The ads ran between July and September 2026.
- Where
- On Meta platforms in Brazil.
- Why
- Researchers said the ads breached electoral rules, including restrictions on foreign funding and political ad promotion.
NetLab researchers
Meta
Aspect
NetLab researchers
Researchers said the ads showed systemic failures in Meta’s advertising governance and could affect elections.
Meta
Meta said its review process has several layers of detection and review before and during ad delivery.
Response to violations
NetLab researchers
Researchers argued that correcting or removing ads after they had run showed a systemic deficiency.
Meta
Meta said the ads were identified and later recategorized or removed when applicable for violating its policies.
Campaign period
NetLab researchers
Researchers said the ads sought to influence Brazil’s electoral contest.
Meta
Meta said the study included ads delivered from July, before the official campaign period.
The ads identified by the study ran on Meta platforms in Brazil.
Meta recategorized some ads or removed them from circulation for violating its policies.
Folha published its report on the study.
- Ads identified
- At least 1,613
- Advertisers
- 187
- Ad spending
- R$2 million
- Impressions
- 171.1 million
- Candidates mentioned
- 70
- Main identified payer
- Corporativo Lam, LCC was responsible for 97.3% of ads with an identified payer.
What people are saying
It is scandalous that Meta earned R$2 million by running absolutely illegal ads during the Brazilian elections.
As the study itself acknowledges, the ads analyzed were identified and later recategorized or, when applicable, removed from circulation for violating our policies.
Our review process has several layers of review and detection, before and during delivery.