Brazil moves toward mandatory age verification for betting and adult sites

Brazil’s Federal Government is drafting new rules that would require online betting platforms and pornographic websites to implement robust age verification systems to try to restrict minors’ access to adult content.

The measure will be included in a decree regulating “ECA Digital” law, a legislation approved last year aimed at strengthening protections for children and adolescents in online environments.

ECA is Brazil’s Child and Adolescent Statute, Brazil’s comprehensive legal framework establishing the priority of rights for individuals under 18. It defines children as citizens with full rights rather than passive recipients. ECA Digital expands that into the digital world.

The proposal, which has been confirmed by government sources, would apply not only to betting and adult platforms but also to websites displaying advertising related to pornography or electronic gambling.

Under the draft framework being discussed, age verification would not rely on simple self-declaration. 

Instead, platforms would be required to adopt officially recognized verifiable credentials, potentially including the Brazilian CPF taxpayer identification number. User data would be cross-checked with public databases to confirm age.

Government officials have emphasized that privacy safeguards will be embedded in the system.

The decree is expected to be signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as part of a content moderation strategy focused on protecting minors from exposure to adult material.

Lula has previously expressed concern over children’s access to gambling and sexually explicit content online.

The scope of the regulation may also extend to alcohol-related content, dating applications and firearms platforms, signaling a tightening of digital access rules for under-18 users.

The proposal under debate would prohibit platforms from tracking users’ identities or browsing histories beyond what is strictly necessary to confirm age eligibility.