U.S. official accuses Brazil of censorship over X algorithm change for elections

A senior U.S. State Department official has accused Brazil of imposing censorship following changes made by the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to its algorithm for Brazilian elections. Sarah B. Rogers, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, stated that the alteration demonstrates "censorship imposed by Brazil."

The controversy arose after X announced an update to its "For You" feed algorithm, introducing a specific filter for the Brazilian electoral process. Under the new system, content posted by individuals running for public office will be organically displayed only to users who already follow their profiles. It will not be included in recommendations for non-followers. However, posts remain accessible on candidates' pages without being removed.

According to X, this adjustment is intended to comply with regulations set by the Brazilian Superior Electoral Court (TSE). The platform cited Resolution No. 23.610/2019, which requires platforms with recommendation systems to exclude official profiles of candidates registered with the electoral justice system from their algorithms, unless paid promotion is involved.

This criticism from the U.S. comes amid a period of strained diplomatic relations between the Trump and Lula administrations. Recent months have seen disagreements on various issues, including foreign trade, digital platform regulation, and freedom of expression on social media. The situation was further complicated by reports that the Trump administration is considering new sanctions against Brazilian Supreme Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes, intensifying tensions between the two nations.

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This demonstrates the censorship imposed by Brazil.