Brazil Court Says No WhatsApp Channel Ban
BRAZIL · ELECTIONS
Published Friday, 23 October, 2:20 p.m. ET · Source: Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) statement, as reported by CNN Brasil and Jovem Pan
Key Facts
- The country Brazil, Latin America’s largest country, holds its presidential runoff on Sunday 25 October between President Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
- What happened On Friday 23 October, Brazil’s electoral court said it has not ordered any WhatsApp channel taken offline.
- Why it matters Both campaigns are fighting in court over a pro-Lula channel with more than 9 million followers, two days before the vote.
- The rule A draft would have suspended political channels with over 200,000 followers from 48 hours before to 24 hours after voting.
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
- Prediction markets Polymarket gives Flávio Bolsonaro a 76.1% chance of winning the 25 October runoff and Lula 23.5% (2:16 p.m. ET). Polymarket puts Flávio Bolsonaro’s chance of winning at 76% and Kalshi at 77% (Lula: 24% and 25%), as of 23 October, 2:20 pm ET; prices are bets, not polls.
- Still open Meta’s technical report on the channel and the ruling on the Lula campaign’s court challenge had not been published when we checked.
Runoff · Sunday, 25 October
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Brazil’s electoral court said on Friday 23 October that it has not ordered any WhatsApp channel off the air, after a week of fights over a pro-Lula channel. The statement came two days before the Brazil election 2026 runoff, as reported by CNN Brasil and Jovem Pan.
The court, formally the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), runs Brazil’s elections and judges campaign disputes. Rumours of an imminent ban on the “Exército do Lula” (Lula’s Army) channel had spread among supporters, and the court answered them directly.
What the Electoral Court Said
The TSE said in a note that it “did not order the removal of any WhatsApp channel,” according to CNN Brasil and Jovem Pan. It called inferences drawn from its short-deadline requests for information “absolutely improper.”
Those requests refer to the order of Thursday 22 October, when court president Kassio Nunes Marques gave Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, 24 hours to deliver a technical report on the channel. Our report on that order has the details.
Platforms Asked to Act Evenly
Nunes Marques met representatives of Meta, X, Google, TikTok and Kwai, a short-video app, according to CNN Brasil. He asked them for more staff and for “even-handed” action toward the two candidates during the runoff, the outlet reported.
The aim is to keep both camps under the same rules for the final days. The court gave no deadline beyond the runoff weekend in the reports we reviewed.
The Draft Ban That Sparked Alarm
Court vice-president André Mendonça drafted a proposal to suspend political channels with more than 200,000 followers from 48 hours before to 24 hours after voting, Jovem Pan reported. It would have hit channels backing both Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, which is why the proposal drew attention.
We covered it when it emerged: Court Weighs Ban on Big WhatsApp Channels.
Nunes Marques told Folha de S.Paulo he opposed “changes to electoral resolutions on the eve of elections,” according to Folha reports cited by Jovem Pan. He distanced himself from the draft.
The Lula Campaign Goes to Court
Lula’s campaign filed a writ of security, an urgent court challenge, against Nunes Marques’s decisions on the channel, Folha de S.Paulo and Poder360 reported. It argues that the court presidency has no power to block a user-run channel by administrative order and that suspending it on a fear of future violations amounts to prior censorship.
The channel is run by federal deputy André Janones and has more than 9 million followers, according to CNN Brasil. Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign had asked the court to suspend it, and it has been suspended and restored several times since 11 October.
What It Means for You
For investors in Brazilian assets, an unsettled fight over campaign rules adds noise to a race already moving prices. Our Brazil election odds page tracks how traders are pricing it.
For US readers following online political speech, the case tests how far an election court may restrict private messaging channels. The court’s denial lowers the near-term risk of a sweeping shutdown, but the pending challenge keeps the dispute open.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, an online prediction market, bettors give Flávio Bolsonaro a 76.1% chance of winning the 25 October runoff and Lula 23.5% (2:16 p.m. ET). The “Brazil Presidential Election” market has drawn about US$192.8 million in total bets.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
Prediction markets · who wins the runoff
Implied chance of winning Brazil’s presidency on 25 October, from traders’ prices.
Polymarket
Flávio Bolsonaro 76.1% · Lula 23.5% (US$193 million traded)
Kalshi (regulated in the US by the CFTC)
Flávio Bolsonaro 77% · Lula 25%
As of 23 October, 2:20 pm ET (19:20 Lisbon), updated every 20 minutes. Prices are bets, not polls, and can move fast.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Known
Meta has not published its report, and the court has not said whether it will act on the channel before Sunday. The ruling on the Lula campaign’s challenge is also pending.
It is not known whether the draft rule will return after the runoff.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Brazil’s electoral court order a WhatsApp channel removed?
No. The court said on Friday 23 October that it did not order the removal of any WhatsApp channel, according to CNN Brasil and Jovem Pan.
What is the “Exército do Lula” channel?
It is a WhatsApp channel supporting President Lula, run by deputy André Janones, with more than 9 million followers. Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign has asked the court to suspend it.
What did the proposed WhatsApp rule say?
Court vice-president André Mendonça drafted a ban on political channels with over 200,000 followers from 48 hours before to 24 hours after voting. Court president Nunes Marques said he opposes changing rules on the eve of elections.
What did the Lula campaign ask the court?
It filed a writ of security against Nunes Marques’s orders, arguing that blocking a channel by administrative order is prior censorship.
When is Brazil’s runoff?
Brazilians vote on Sunday 25 October. The winner, Lula or Flávio Bolsonaro, takes office as president for four years.
Sources: CNN Brasil (cnnbrasil.com.br), 23 October 2026; Jovem Pan, 23 October 2026; Folha de S.Paulo, 23 October 2026; Poder360, 21 October 2026.
This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief