Brazil Sues Social Media Platforms, TikTok and Meta for Minor Safety Lapses
A Brazilian consumer rights group known as Collective Defense Institute has filed two lawsuits against Tiktok, Meta Platforms, and Kwai. Reuters reported that Brazil sued the social media platforms for failing to prevent sweeping use of their platforms by minors. The rights group is demanding $525.27 million in damages in the lawsuit.
Data Protection Demands
The lawsuit filed by Brazil’s Collective Defense Institute is based on a range of studies that show that unsupervised use of social media can cause damage to kids and adolescents. The rights group at the center of the lawsuit demands that the three social media platforms set up clear data protection mechanisms.
“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,” Lillian Salgado, one of the plaintiffs said.
Salgado also emphasized the need for better algorithm controls, better account monitoring for minors, and age verification.
“We need safer, healthier online experiences for our youth, similar to regulations in developed countries,” she added.
The lawsuit also wants the social platforms compelled to issue warnings on the mental health risks such as addiction to users. Such warnings are aimed at enhancing the safety of children online.
Regulation of social media has gained traction in Brazil following a month-long clash between X and Brazil’s Supreme Court. This has led to increased attention on Brazil’s child safety and the role that social media companies should play in ensuring that minors remain safe online.
Social Media Response
Responding to the legal action taken by Brazil’s consumer right group, Meta Platforms – which owns WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook – reaffirmed its commitment to minor safety. The social media giant outlined the measures it has been taking to achieve this goal.
“We want young people to have safe and age-appropriate experiences on our apps, and we have been working on these issues for over a decade, developing more than 50 tools, resources, and features to support teens and their guardians,” Meta said in a statement.
The company also said that recently, it unveiled the ‘Teen Account’ on Instagram. The account automatically limits the accounts that adolescents can view and who can contact them. Meta said it plans to introduce the account in Brazil soon.
In September 2024, Meta worked with Snapchat and TikTok to launch the Thrive Mental Health Initiative. Thrive is aimed at flagging harmful content on self-harm or suicide and keeping it from spreading on social media platforms. But like the ‘Teen Account’ feature, this initiative is not available in Brazil.
Kwai said that it prioritizes user safety particularly for minors. Kwai is a platform that uses short videos. TikTok said the notice about the case was yet to reach it.
Rising Minor Safety Lawsuits
Both Meta and TikTok continue to face numerous lawsuits pertaining to the safety of minors online in different parts of the world. Meta has been sued in California for downplaying addiction risks that its applications pose to children. The social media giant has also been sued hundreds of times by parents and school districts for addiction.
TikTok minors safety has been a big concern in the US. Earlier this month, TikTok was sued in 13 states and Washington DC in the US for failing to protect young people and harming them mentally. The lawsuits expanded Tiktok’s fight with US regulators and paved the way for additional penalties against the social media company.
In September 2024, TikTok filed an appeal against the US government over the divest or ban law that requires it to spin off from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by January 2025 or face a ban. The US government views ByteDance’s ties to China as a national security threat.
