Brazil’s Collective Defense Institute (IDC) has launched two lawsuits against the Brazilian branches of Meta, TikTok, and the short-form video app Kwai, accusing them of failing to implement protections to limit usage by minors.
The legal action, amounting to a hefty 3 billion reais ($525 million), alleges that these platforms lack the necessary safeguards to prevent unsupervised access and addiction among young users, according to court filings reviewed by Reuters.
Child safety on social media has become a pressing issue in Brazil after a heated standoff earlier this year between Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) and Brazil’s Supreme Court. The case, which resulted in a fine of nearly 28 million reais ($4.9 million), was seen as a signal that Brazil’s courts are prepared to take action on digital safety. Now, the lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, and Kwai escalate the scrutiny, zeroing in on the companies’ responsibilities to protect younger users from platform-related harms.
The IDC’s lawsuits are clear: they demand improved data protection measures for children and teenagers, alongside explicit warnings on the potential mental health impacts of social media addiction. In their view, both user data processing practices and algorithms need a full overhaul to protect users under 18 better.
“It is urgent that measures be adopted to change the way algorithms function and how data from young users is processed,” said Lillian Salgado, a lawyer representing IDC. Salgado points to developed countries with stricter regulations as a model for Brazil’s social media landscape.
Companies Respond to Child Safety Allegations
Meta, in a prepared statement, emphasized its commitment to building “safe and age-appropriate experiences” for young users. For over a decade, the company says it has focused on safety features for teens, like the newly developed “Teen Account” on Instagram, which limits exposure and restricts contact from unknown accounts. This new feature is set to roll out in Brazil soon, according to Meta.
TikTok noted it hadn’t yet received formal notification about the lawsuit, while Kwai reiterated its dedication to user safety, especially for minors, stating that the company “prioritizes a secure environment for all users.”
Legal scrutiny over youth protection on social media has intensified worldwide. In the U.S., New Mexico filed a similar lawsuit in 2023 against Meta, citing the platforms’ role in exposing minors to harmful content. A later-revealed internal memo from 2021 suggested that Meta knew over 100,000 minors were facing daily harassment on its platforms but dismissed recommendations for algorithm changes. TikTok, too, faced legal action earlier this month from 14 U.S. attorneys general, accusing the platform of falsely presenting itself as safe for young audiences.
With growing international attention, Brazil’s lawsuits are part of a wider reckoning on youth protection in the social media space. As these companies are called out globally, whether they’ll adjust their policies or double down on their defenses remains an open question.
Featured Image courtesy of Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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