Brazil court orders removal of AI image linking senator to banker

Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has ordered the removal of an artificial intelligence-generated image that falsely linked Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a presidential hopeful, to imprisoned banker Daniel Vorcaro. The court's decision, issued Friday, gave the post's author 24 hours to remove it from the X platform or face a daily fine.

The image, which depicted Bolsonaro alongside other politicians and was presented as a "leaked photo from a brunch organized by Daniel Vorcaro," was deemed a "deepfake" by the court. Justice André Mendonça stated that the material promoted electoral disinformation through fabricated content, with the potential to mislead voters about politically relevant facts. The use of the term "leaked photo" was particularly criticized for implying authenticity.

The lawsuit was filed by Bolsonaro's party, the Liberal Party (PL), which argued the publication exceeded political criticism and constituted early negative electoral propaganda. A digital forensic report indicated a 78% probability that the image was AI-generated. The court partially granted the PL's request, ordering the removal of the image and prohibiting its republication, while excluding the removal of comments and shares.