Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies president, Hugo Motta, wants lawmakers to approve a national artificial-intelligence regulatory framework before the October 2026 general election, arguing that campaigns need clear rules against algorithmic manipulation and synthetic media.
Motta, a member of Republicanos from Paraíba, said on June 1 that Congress should move ahead so candidates, parties and platforms know what conduct is allowed during the campaign. Brazil’s first-round vote is scheduled for October 4, with a possible runoff on October 25.
A June Target
The proposal under discussion is Bill 2338/2023, an AI framework approved by the Federal Senate in December 2024 and now being reviewed by a special committee in the Chamber of Deputies, Brazil’s lower house. The committee is chaired by Luísa Canziani, a federal deputy from Paraná, and the rapporteur is Aguinaldo Ribeiro, a deputy from Paraíba.
According to Agência Câmara, the Chamber’s official news service, Motta said on May 28 that he would work for the committee to vote on the text by June 9 and send it to the full floor by the end of June. He made the remarks at the Brasília Tech Summit, a digital-economy event.
Motta framed the bill as an attempt to balance economic, political and expression freedoms with legal responsibility for actors operating in digital markets. He said there was no longer room to portray all digital accountability as censorship, while also warning that lawmakers must avoid tipping the balance too far in either direction.
The Election Angle
The urgency is partly electoral. In an interview cited by Gazeta do Povo, Motta said Brazil should avoid allowing manipulation or the use of algorithms to interfere with the result of the vote.
Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE), the national court that oversees elections, has already approved specific rules for the 2026 campaign. Electoral advertising will be allowed from August 16, but synthetic multimedia content made or significantly altered with AI must carry an explicit, prominent and accessible disclosure.
The TSE also bans the publication, republication or paid boosting of new synthetic AI-generated or AI-altered content from 72 hours before each round until 24 hours after the vote. Violations can lead to immediate removal by platforms or court order, and fines ranging from R$5,000 to R$30,000 under Brazil’s election law.
What the Bill Covers
The broader AI bill is not limited to elections. The Senate-approved text, as described by Data Privacy Brasil and congressional materials, seeks to set national rules for AI development and use, including risk classification, obligations for AI agents, user rights and enforcement mechanisms.
Data Privacy Brasil, a civil-society research group focused on digital rights, says the Senate text is built around fundamental rights and risk mitigation. It also warned that the Chamber stage could preserve, improve or weaken safeguards created during the Senate debate.
The Chamber’s discussion is expected to cover innovation, competitiveness, regulatory sandboxes, infrastructure, public services, copyright, labor-market effects and fundamental rights. The committee’s work plan has included public hearings and possible regional seminars, although lawmakers have debated whether to accelerate the schedule so the bill can pass before the election year dominates Congress.
The political pressure is already visible. Gazeta do Povo reported that Supreme Federal Court justices Alexandre de Moraes and Gilmar Mendes defended AI rules during the 14th Lisbon Forum. Meanwhile, the TSE has positioned AI and disinformation controls as part of its broader campaign to protect the integrity of Brazil’s electronic voting system and electoral process.