The PT, PV and PC do B federation filed a lawsuit at Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to remove the social media profile “Dona Maria”, created by artificial intelligence with over 750,000 Instagram followers. The parties claim it engages in premature election campaigning and spreads disinformation against the Lula government and judiciary. The page's owner dismissed the action as 'despair'.
The federation of PT, PV and PC do B parties filed a claim at the TSE seeking the removal of the “Dona Maria” social media profile. Generated by AI, the page features a realistic image of an elderly Black woman and has over 750,000 followers on Instagram alone. It criticizes Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government and the Supreme Federal Court while praising Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters.
The parties contend the profile spreads disinformation and serves as anonymous political propaganda. "It is aimed at propagating disinformation against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, speaking ill of the Supreme Federal Court, especially its ministers, while remaining complimentary to Jair Bolsonaro," the lawyers state in the filing. Though the Instagram bio notes it as a "character created with AI", the PT claims later posts may mislead viewers into thinking it is real.
Daniel Cristiano, the page's owner, responded by labeling the federation's move as 'despair'. "What kind of meltdown is this over a simple page? Dona Maria can't even have a peaceful day," he wrote ironically, implying the parties overreact to a profile voicing everyday Brazilian grievances.
