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Brazil’s age verification law takes effect March 17, 2026 and nobody’s ready
Brazil’s Lei 15.211… the “Digital Statute of the Child and Adolescent”… goes live on March 17, 2026. It requires operating systems, app stores, and any software delivered electronically to implement age verification for minors. Sounds terrible, it’s worse – it bans self-declaration as a method. Fines run up to 10% of Brazilian revenue or R$50 million (roughly $9.5M USD) per infraction.
I’ve read this a few times and I really do not get it – the law contains its own built-in contradiction. Article 37 says regulations “cannot, under any circumstances, impose, authorize, or result in the implementation of mass, generic, or indiscriminate surveillance mechanisms.” But article 9 bans self-reported age, and article 12 demands “auditable” verification. How can you do auditable non-self-declaration age checks without identity documents or biometrics? Those are surveillance by definition! The law prohibits the thing that would make the law work.
Quick detour… In 2009, Brazilian President Lula da Silva visited FISL 10 (Fórum Internacional Software Livre) in Porto Alegre, where he gave a 15-minute speech without notes about the importance of free software to Brazil. The government promoted Linux and open source across federal institutions, universities, and police departments… which makes it something to see the same president’s signature on a law that makes Linux distros non-compliant (pictured above Pres Lula with Tux).
It's FOSS:
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Google Says Developer Verification Makes Android Safer. Critics Say It Just Makes Android More Closed
Amidst all the chaos in the world, some significant moves are being orchestrated that could potentially have detrimental effects on people's privacy and right to choose. Google's Developer Verification program falls under the latter.
Starting September 2026 (in certain regions), any app installed on a certified Android device will need to come from a developer who has gone through Google's new verification process. This applies regardless of where the app comes from: the Play Store, a third-party storefront, or a direct APK download.
To get verified, developers must register through a dedicated Android Developer Console and provide their legal name, address, email address, and phone number. In some cases, they will also need to upload a government-issued ID.