Brazil Passes Landmark Law to Protect Children Online: ChildFund Applauds Global Progress, Urges U.S. Action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Cheri Dahl
Cdahl@childfund.org

Brazil Passes Landmark Law to Protect Children Online: ChildFund Applauds
Global Progress, Urges U.S. Action

Richmond, VA — September 25, 2025   ChildFund, a global leader in online child protection, is proud to recognize a major legislative victory in Brazil: the passage of Law No. 15.211/2025, known as the Digital Statute for Children and Adolescents (ECA Digital). Signed into law on September 17, this pioneering legislation establishes sweeping protections for children and adolescents in digital environments — setting a powerful precedent for countries around the world, including the United States.

ChildFund Brazil played an active role in shaping the law, which was fast-tracked following public outrage over online crimes against children. The law will take effect in March 2026. “This is a historic moment for child protection,” said Erin Kennedy, Vice President for External Affairs and Partnerships at ChildFund. “Brazil’s new law shows what’s possible when governments, civil society and communities come together to prioritize children’s safety online. We’re proud to have contributed to this effort, and we call on U.S. lawmakers to follow suit.”

Key Provisions of Brazil’s ECA Digital Include:

• Mandatory age verification and parental supervision tools for digital platforms.
• Ban on loot boxes in games accessible to minors.
• Prohibition of behavioral profiling and targeted advertising aimed at children.
• High privacy settings by default for users under 18.
• Restrictions on harmful content, including sexual exploitation, violence and predatory marketing.
• Creation of a dedicated regulatory authority to enforce the law.

Online sexual exploitation and abuse of children is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the world. In 2024 alone, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 20.5 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation, including 62.9 million distinct images, videos and files. Globally, more than 300 million children have been sexually abused or exploited online — yet the crime remains severely underreported.

“Brazil’s law shows what accountability looks like,” said Kennedy. “In the U.S., tech companies are legally required to report child sexual abuse material — but not to detect it. That must change.”  ChildFund is driving change at the individual, community, and national levels.

Recent wins supported by ChildFund, in addition to Brazil’s ECA Digital, include:

• U.S.: REPORT Act (2024), Take It Down Act (2025)

• Africa: AU Memorandum of Understanding
• Latin America: Ecuador’s Naveguemos Seguros, Guatemala’s Decreto Número 11-2022
• Asia: Philippines’ Shut Down OSEC campaign

ChildFund leads the End Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children (End OSEAC) Coalition, a group of like-minded organizations advancing online safety legislation and giving a platform to survivors and parents of children who have lost their lives to online exploitation and abuse. Other initiatives empowering young people to advocate for safer digital spaces include #MiVozExige #SeguridadDigital in Mexico and PROJECT Children AWARE in the Philippines. To learn more about ChildFund’s work to prevent online sexual exploitation and abuse of children, visit ChildFund.org.