YouTube has begun requiring authorization from Brazil’s Juvenile Court for videos featuring children and adolescents. The platform notified creators of the change in late October 2026 and started applying it in November. Channel managers must request the document from the court and submit it online to meet the requirement.
Channels that publish content featuring minors without the requested authorization may immediately lose monetization. If they violate the rule again, YouTube may ban and permanently delete the channel.
The requirement is linked to Brazil’s Digital Statute for Children and Adolescents, known as the ECA Digital or Lei Felca. The law was enacted in September 2025 and has been in force since March 17, 2026. It sets obligations for technology companies providing services to children and adolescents in Brazil.
The legislation gained momentum after the August 2025 release of “Adultização,” a video by YouTuber Felipe Bressanim Pereira that has received more than 52 million views. The video highlighted the early sexualization and exploitation of minors on social media, including the case of influencer Hytalo Santos, who was arrested that month.
The ECA Digital requires platforms to use secure, auditable age-verification methods, replacing simple self-declaration buttons. It also requires maximum privacy settings by default for minors’ accounts and bars the use of their data for behavioral advertising. The law restricts targeted advertising to young people and prohibits monetizing or promoting content that exposes or sexualizes minors. Platforms must also provide free parental-control tools and strengthen protections for children’s and adolescents’ data.
The National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) is responsible for enforcement. Under the law, companies that fail to comply may face warnings, fines of up to 10% of their revenue in Brazil—capped at R$50 million per violation—or suspension of their operations by court order.
Sources: Canaltech.