Since March 17, Statute 15.211/2025, also known as Digital ECA (Estatuto Digital da Criança e do Adolescente, “Digital Statute of the Child and Adolescent”), has been in force in Brazil. It requires citizens to prove their identity before going online.
We explain the essence of the law and also predict how it will affect end users and the level of internet censorship in the country.
What Digital ECA Is and How It Will Affect the Brazilian Internet
Adopted on September 17, 2025, Statute 15.211/2025 requires online platforms in Brazil to verify users’ age before granting access to “content unsuitable for minors.” The law regulates social networks, online games, and adult websites.
The authorities justify the initiative as protecting children from harmful content. Previously, age could be confirmed with an “I am 18 or older” button; the new law requires verification to be “proportionate, verifiable, and technically secure.”
In practice, users are forced to present a national ID or submit biometric data. All visitors over 18 will be required to do this in order to access “inappropriate” resources. At the same time, social media accounts for users under 16 must be linked to the data of a parent or guardian.
Failure to comply with the law entails a complete block for platforms in Brazil and fines of up to 10% of the company’s revenue in the country, but no more than 50M Brazilian reaisabout $10M at the time of publication.
After the law came into force, the volume of search queries that included the word “VPN” in Brazil spiked.
In these circumstances, some companies, such as Rockstar Games — the developers of the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series — have restricted direct sales through their online store in Brazil already.
Google’s local branch warns that, in accordance with the law, it will automatically impose restrictions on user accounts if the company decides that those belong to a minor. The list of possible measures includes:
- enabling Safe Search by default,
- restricting content for minors,
- disabling personalized advertising,
- requesting age verification,
- other restrictions in some services, such as limiting video uploads.
At the same time, the company allowed users to add the digital ID to the Google Wallet app for use with online services. To create the file, users will have to provide an identity document, upload a scan of it, and record a verification video.
Even at the draft stage, experts noted that the project threatens users’ anonymity under the pretext of caring for minors.
The Global Trend Toward De-anonymization
Brazil has joined the ranks of countries that restrict access to the network. Similar laws are already in force in Australia and the UK — the authorities there also appeal to the protection of children. Human rights defenders and experts in digital security criticized the measures as ineffective and accused the authorities of surveilling citizens.
A structured database of citizens’ network behavior collected by the state increases cybersecurity risks.
Back in 2024, 60% of Brazilians expressed concerns about how the authorities handle their biometric data. Their concern is not unfounded: that same year, Brazil became the global runner-up in the number of cyberattacks according to the “Threat Panorama for Latin America 2024” report. During the stated period, 700M incidents were recorded in the country — almost 1,400 per minute.
Our Stance
We anticipated the consequences of Statute 15.211/2025, so we reminded users that we operate in Brazil shortly before the law came into force.
Our primary solution for users in the region is Amnezia Free. It restores access to “forbidden” resources by bypassing blocks.
In addition, users can connect Amnezia Premium and extend access to the open internet to seven devices — for example, among family and close friends.
Neither solution requires a personal account — only an email address, to which we send connection codes.
Privacy Is a Right, Not a Privilege
We believe that protecting minors online should not infringe on the rights of other users. In response to restrictions and censorship, we offer technical solutions:
- The original AmneziaWG VPN protocol which is based on WireGuard and which we are constantly improving.
- The split tunneling feature for Self-hosted users. It allows traffic to be distributed so that some of it bypasses blocks, while the rest goes through the ISP’s main channel.
The right to anonymity and privacy is the foundation of free exchange of opinions and information, without which progress is impossible. A state that identifies users online “for their own good” places them in a vulnerable position — both from the perspective of civil rights and from the standpoint of cybersecurity risks.
We, in turn, do everything possible to preserve free access to information.
5 min