The Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security sent an official notification to Apple and Google after it was determined that children could access betting applications in the App Store and Google Play. According to the statements made, it is stated that there are many betting applications available to underage users on both platforms and some of them do not have the necessary legal permissions. This situation presents a picture that contradicts the regulations aimed at protecting children in the digital environment in the country.
According to the information provided by Folha de S.Paulo, in the letters sent on Friday by the National Secretariat for Digital Rights (Sedigi) and the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon), it was stated that “numerous” applications in application stores either offer direct betting or facilitate children’s access to these contents. In addition, it is considered that a significant portion of these applications are not authorized at the federal level and fall outside the scope of ECA Digital.
The regulation, known as ECA Digital, includes rules for the protection of children in digital environments and aims to restrict access to gambling and age-restricted content. According to the relevant legislation, application stores and operating systems must block access to betting and lottery types that are not approved by authorized institutions. In this context, the control of applications on both Apple and Google’s platforms has become a matter of debate again.
Control mechanisms in application stores are on the agenda again
It is stated that among the applications mentioned in the reviews in Brazil, there are also games similar to Fortune Tiger, which have increased in popularity recently. These slot-style games, known as “Jogo do Tigrinho” in the country, have spread rapidly, especially on mobile platforms. Despite this, there is criticism that such applications do not offer sufficient measures regarding age verification and access restrictions.
On the other hand, this development comes after other problems Apple has encountered with its application store in recent days. Last week, news was published that some applications in the App Store offered content that could change user photos without permission and that a fake crypto wallet application caused losses of millions of dollars. Apple intervened in these cases by removing the relevant apps from the store.
However, it is known that Apple recently expanded its age verification tools and included Brazil in its coverage. Thanks to the Declared Age Range API available to developers, users’ age group information – including parental approval – can be shared with applications. In addition, another notable practice in the country is that applications that are stated to contain “loot boxes” in the age rating survey are automatically categorized as 18 and over.
On the Google front, it is stated that the company reminds developers of their responsibilities to comply with ECA Digital rules. Age ratings on Google Play are determined through the IARC system, based on the declarations filled out by developers, and this system is based on the criteria of the Brazilian Ministry of Justice. However, the current model’s reliance entirely on developer declaration raises questions about the effectiveness of auditing processes.
In order not to miss the technology agenda, 📰 add it to Google News, 💬 join our WhatsApp channel, ▶ subscribe to YouTube, 📷 follow us on Instagram and 𝕏 X.