Brazil’s lower house approves law expanding social media protections for minors

Brazil’s lower house approved legislation on Wednesday expanding requirements for digital platforms to protect minors, after a prominent social media influencer allegedly sexually exploited a child.

The measure includes stricter age verification systems and mandates that the accounts of children under 16 be linked to their parents’ pages.The law takes effect one year after the president’s assent and must receive final approval from the Senate.

Social media regulation has become a thorny political issue in the South American nation, with leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warning this week that “society will be under constant threat without regulation of big tech.”

Right-wing opposition parties have accused the government and judiciary of seeking to “censor” online platforms.

The legislation was passed by a wide margin after public outrage over alleged child sexual exploitation by Hytalo Santos, a well-known influencer who posted content on Instagram featuring partially naked minors taking part in suggestive dances.

Santos was arrested last week as part of an investigation into “exposure with sexual connotations” to adolescents, and his Instagram account is no longer available.

Steep fines

Under the new rules, social networks must report suspected exploitative or sexually abusive content to Brazilian authorities and link the accounts of minors to parental controls.

Platforms will be required to “monitor and restrict, within the limits of their technical capabilities, content that is clearly intended to attract children,” according to the legislation.

Brazil’s Congress rejected self-declaration as an age verification method following expert recommendations, instead requiring social networks to “continuously improve their age verification mechanisms.”

Companies violating the provisions face fines up to 50 million reais ($9 million), suspensions, or bans for repeat offenders.

Brazil has emerged as one of the world’s most active countries in social media regulation.

Courts suspended X for 40 days last year over non-compliance with anti-disinformation orders.

The government on Monday asked US tech giant Meta to rid its platforms of chatbots that mimic children and can make sexually suggestive remarks, after detecting their “proliferation” across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

In a June ruling, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered tech companies to assume greater responsibility for user-generated content.

Early this year, the court ordered video platform Rumble to be suspended after it refused to block a Brazilian-American user’s account.