On Tuesday, Brazil began a transition to enforce a new law restricting minors’ access to social media and blocking their exposure to violent or illegal content after a scandal involving alleged sexual exploitation of minors on Instagram. The measure, approved last year, requires platforms to implement stronger age checks, link younger users to guardians and remove abusive material, officials said.
Under the law, adolescents up to 16 must have their social media accounts linked to a legal guardian. Digital platforms are obligated to use “reliable” age verification to stop anyone under 18 from seeing prohibited content such as pornography or graphic violence. The legislation specifically bans relying on users’ self-declared ages as an authentication method.
Iage Miola, director of Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), said the authority will run a transition period starting Tuesday to define the technical rules. “What our legislation did was ban self-declaration,” he said, adding that “that method is ineffective.” Miola said he has met technology-company representatives and that, for now, the preferred verification approach involves users uploading identity documents and providing biometric photo verification.
The law also requires platforms to remove content that appears to depict sexual exploitation or abuse and to notify Brazilian authorities when such material is found. Companies that do not comply face penalties ranging from fines of up to 50 million reais (about $9 million) and account suspensions to an outright ban for repeated violations.
Beyond social media, the legislation reaches across the internet: it bans advertising targeted at children and adolescents and outlaws “loot boxes”—paid, randomized in-game rewards-citing concerns about gambling-like mechanics and exploitative marketing.
“Unlike other countries, Brazil opted for a law that is not limited to regulating social media for children, but rather covers the entire internet,” Renata Tomaz, a professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, told AFP.
Authorities say the measures aim to protect Brazil’s 212 million people-especially young users-from addictive algorithms and harmful content, while creating clear legal duties for global platforms operating in the country. This article is published from a syndicated feed.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/after-australia-brazil-moves-to-restrict-social-media-for-under-16s-11230545#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-03-18 05:53:00
