Data Privacy Brasil participates in international seminar on Brazil’s Digital Statute for Children and Adolescents

Yesterday, Data Privacy Brasil took part in the seminar “Online Safety for Children Statute: Lessons from the Brazilian Experience”, organized by Digital Action and Conectas Human Rights.

The session, mediated by Carla Vreche (Conectas), brought together organizations working at the forefront of childhood and digital rights, including Emanuella Halfeld (Alana Institute) and Rafael Zanatta (Data Privacy Brazil), to discuss the development and approval of Brazil’s groundbreaking Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents (DSCA), the first national law dedicated to protecting children in online environments.

During his contribution, Rafael Zanatta presented a detailed overview of the political, regulatory, and social processes that shaped the DSCA, drawing on Data Privacy Brasil’s long-term engagement with the topic. He highlighted the statute’s foundations in integral protection, the central role of civil society in shaping safeguards against commercial exploitation, and the careful balance achieved to avoid mass surveillance and ensure democratic accountability. Zanatta also explained how the law incorporates strong privacy-by-design requirements, establishes preventive duties for digital services, and assigns regulatory enforcement to independent authorities, reinforcing that the DSCA is not a censorship mechanism but a rights-based framework built through broad coalition-building and public deliberation.

As Brazil moves toward the implementation phase of the DSCA in 2026, Data Privacy Brasil will continue to contribute with technical analysis, institutional dialogue, and evidence-based research to ensure that the statute fulfills its promise of strengthening protections for children in digital environments. Our participation in international and national forums remains an essential part of this effort, fostering cooperation and advancing a rights-based approach to digital governance.