Keeping an eye on the environment on social media for young people and teenagers, the president’s re-election campaign () wants to see the repercussion in practice before suggesting new proposals on the topic.
The ban on access to networks for children under 16, announced this Monday (15) by the United Kingdom, has not yet been discussed by the team.
Behind the scenes, Lula’s allies claim that it would not be prudent to suggest such a controversial measure at this time, which arouses resistance from big techs and defenders of freedom of expression, in an election year.
The new statute, approved at the end of 2025, only came into force in March. Legislation and teenagers in the digital environment with measures that generate online safety, more data protection and accountability of platforms.
The PT is betting on ECA Digital to reinforce the discourse in defense of children’s safety online. Although some members of the government view the measures announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer with favor, the focus of Lula’s campaign when dealing with the digital environment will be on other topics.
The government program is still under construction, in a process of dialogue between the different currents of the party and society. But priority will be given to the regulation of social networks.
In May, Lula signed a decree that updates the civil framework regulations, after the (Federal Supreme Court) changed its understanding of the responsibility of digital platforms.
defines that platforms must be held responsible in some cases, even without a court order to remove content.
One of the PT parliamentarians most involved in the approval of ECA Digital, federal deputy Maria do Rosário (PT-RS) defends that there must first be an evaluation of this instrument before thinking about a total prohibition measure.
“Brazil found a very pertinent intermediate solution. Let’s wait and see if we can achieve good results with ECA Digital, preventing access to violence, pornography and everything that children should not access”, says Rosário.
“I don’t think we should move towards a total ban before there is this assessment”, says the PT member. She defends another measure, to completely ban contact with screens in early childhood.
State deputy Marina Helou (PSB-SP) defends a project along the lines of that announced by the United Kingdom, which has also been implemented by countries such as Australia. She intends to present a text with this content if she is elected federal deputy.
According to Helou, the veto on the use of networks by children and adolescents was debated in the ECA Digital process, but there was a retreat due to strong pressure from big techs.
“The information about the harmful effects of social networks on minors is already robust in the world. But I understand the logic of, in an election year, having a strategy of waiting for renewal in Congress to take this step”, she says.
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