Buenos Aires, Brazil ANPD Focus on Minors

The Information Integrity Observatory (OGDAI) of the Buenos Aires city government held a regional webinar with the Latin American Public and Cultural Television Network (RTA) on protecting minors in digital environments. Jorge André Fontelles de Lima, a federal auditor and representative of Brazil’s Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados (ANPD), took part and outlined regulatory progress and policy innovations from his country as a reference point for Argentine stakeholders.

What did Brazil’s ANPD present in Buenos Aires?

The presentation focused on age verification, data governance, and stronger protections for minors in digital environments. According to material from the city government, the goal was to provide concrete input for local debate on how to approach obligations for platforms and other digital services that interact with children and adolescents.

That framework is based on the so-called ECA Digital, Brazil’s law that extends the protection logic of the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente into the digital environment. Regional analyses cited in the material say the law formally designated the ANPD as the authority responsible for regulating its obligations, overseeing compliance, and imposing sanctions on platforms that violate minors’ rights online.

Why does the Brazilian model matter in the region?

Because ECA Digital has broad reach and an enforcement model that is already shaping debates in neighboring countries. The text available says it applies both to products and technology services designed specifically for minors and to those not intended for them but likely to be used by children and teenagers.

That standard widens the scope beyond general-purpose platforms and makes the debate over design duties, age verification, and privacy by default more relevant. In Brazil’s case, the functions assigned to the ANPD include regulating specific obligations, supervising and auditing compliance, and imposing financial penalties that can reach 50 million reais per violation, according to La Diaria.

Other regulatory pieces are part of that framework as well. An IAPP analysis noted stronger default-setting obligations and age-verification mechanisms for users under 16. Migalhas, meanwhile, described compliance requirements such as age verification and stricter privacy settings for children’s accounts, aligned with the timeline of the Estatuto Digital da Criança e do Adolescente.

Licks Attorneys added that the ANPD issued guidelines on transparency reports tied to ECA Digital, with practical instructions on how platforms should report compliance. That adds another layer of governance and accountability to the regional regulatory agenda.

How does this compare with the Argentine debate?

Analysis from Estudio Lexar says Argentina still does not have a general legal obligation for age verification in digital services aimed at minors. The same material says reform bills under review in 2026 would introduce those requirements, with adjustment periods after they are regulated.

That difference explains why the Brazilian case is serving as a reference for Argentine authorities and stakeholders. The local debate, according to the material reviewed, is looking at comparative experiences to define minimum standards for design, privacy, and enforcement on platforms that operate with underage users.