Brazil's Collective Defense Institute, a consumer rights group has filed lawsuits against social media giants, seeking 3 billion Reais or US$525.27 million.
The lawsuit has been filed against companies like TikTok, Kwai, and Meta Platforms. The companies have not set adequate measures to prevent indiscriminate access of minors to social media.
Significance of the Issue
Regulation of social media has been one of the most debated issues in Brazil, especially following a disputed row between X owner Elon Musk and a Brazilian Supreme Court justice. This has resulted in increasing attention on the responsibilities of social media companies in the protection of minors.
The lawsuits demand that TikTok, Kwai, and Meta implement clear data protection measures. This includes issuing warnings about the mental health dangers of social media addiction in children and teenagers.
The legal actions taken are supported by various studies cited on how the unsupervised use of social media could potentially harm young users.
"It is urgent that measures be adopted in order to change the way the algorithm works, the processing of data from users under 18, and the way in which teenagers aged 13 and over are supervised and their accounts created, in order to ensure a safer, healthier experience... as is already the case in developed countries," said lawyer Lillian Salgado, one of the plaintiffs.
Meta Platforms stated that it is committed to providing safe and age-appropriate experiences for younger users. It went on to further state that it had created more than 50 tools and resources designed to assist teenagers and their guardians. The company also plans to unveil an Instagram feature titled ‘Teen Account’. The new feature will limit the accounts teenagers can view and the accounts from which they can receive contacts automatically.
Meanwhile, TikTok rebutted that it had never received any kind of notice regarding the case.
Kwai, a short-form video application, assured the public that user safety, specifically for minors, is its top priority.
As the case presses on, the major areas that will be debated include the impact on Brazil's social media law and how that will protect the country's youngest.