- VPN demand sky rockets in Brazil as adult content and social media face age restrictions
- New mandatory age checks were enforced on 17 March
- Platforms face potential shutdowns and huge fines for non-compliance.
Brazilians are flocking to VPN services as the country’s sweeping new mandatory age verification rules officially take effect.
According to the latest Google Trends data, searches for ‘VPN’ in Brazil have been slowly increasing since Monday.
Leading privacy provider Proton VPN confirmed a 250% increase in sign-ups from the country overnight between Monday and Tuesday.
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David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, told TechRadar that these “increases often reflect adult users turning to VPNs due to growing concerns about their privacy and online security.”
The digital ECA (Digital Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente or Lei 15.211/2025) was enforced on 17 March. Under the rules, online service providers must verify that users are old enough to access content deemed inappropriate for minors. This includes social media, online gaming and adult-only content.
The stakes for platforms are high. Failure to comply can result in services being throttled or blocked entirely, along with massive fines of up to 10% of the company’s Brazilian revenue, capped at 50 million Brazilian reais (almost $10 million USD).
Why Brazilians are turning to VPNs
The Digital ECA establishes a strict framework for online service providers to protect children from age-inappropriate content. But like the debate in Europe and the UK, these old age insurance provisions are raising concerns among digital rights advocates.
Under the new rules, adult-only websites, social media platforms and gaming services must verify that users meet minimum age requirements — typically 18 for adult content and 16 for social media.
The law mandates “proportional, auditable and technically secure” verification, which in practice requires all users to submit identity data or biometric scans to prove their age.
Proton VPN’s David Peterson told TechRadar that while the company “fully supports” efforts to protect young people from harmful material, he also stressed the importance of “implementing solutions that also maintain user privacy and security.”
Proton VPN confirmed a 250% increase in downloads from the country
Brazil’s new law expressly states that age verification methods – which could include scanning national IDs or collecting biometric data – must preserve users’ privacy through strict data minimization rules.
However, many Brazilians are still not convinced. Wary of sharing sensitive identity information with a wide variety of platforms, users are increasingly looking for ways to protect their personal information.
VPN services offer a straightforward solution to improving online privacy. By encrypting all outgoing internet traffic, they prevent third parties from snooping on user activity.
However, it is important to choose a secure provider. Untrusted or “scam” VPN applications often pose a greater risk to your data than the platforms you’re trying to avoid.
For users looking to protect their data in Brazil, TechRadar maintains a comprehensive guide to the best VPN services available now. For those on a budget, our experts have also ranked the best free VPNs, with Proton VPN and PrivadoVPN currently leading the market for security and reliability.
We test and review VPN services for legitimate recreational use. For example: 1. Accessing a Service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that Service). 2. Protecting your online security and enhancing your online privacy when you are abroad. We do not support or condone the use of a VPN service to break the law or carry out illegal activities. Consumption of paid-for pirated content is neither endorsed nor endorsed by Future Publishing.
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