Apple and Google have been officially informed by Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Safety about the accessibility of wagering applications to minors within their respective app stores. This notification is issued by the National Secretariat for Digital Rights (Sedigi) and the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon), underscoring worries over the presence of numerous applications that either provide or facilitate access to gambling for underage users.
The correspondence dispatched to both corporations suggests that a significant number of these applications do not possess federal approval and are likely infringing upon the ECA Digital law. This legislation aims to safeguard minors in digital settings, imposing restrictions on access to gambling and other age-restricted materials. The decree pertaining to ECA Digital requires internet application stores and operating systems to block the availability of products or services that promote or enable access to unauthorized lotteries and gambling.
Included in the applications referenced in the notifications are multiple alternatives to the well-known game Fortune Tiger, recognized in Brazil as “Jogo do Tigrinho,” which has seen considerable popularity in various nations over the last year.
This notification contributes to a string of recent controversies regarding the App Store. Just the previous week, Apple faced backlash for the existence of “nudifying” apps and a fraudulent crypto wallet that allegedly siphoned off more than $10 million. In response to these concerns, Apple has initiated measures to eliminate the problematic applications.
In a related update, Apple has recently broadened its App Store age verification tools to Brazil. This encompasses the rollout of the Declared Age Range API, permitting developers to ascertain a user’s age group with consent from the user or their guardians. Furthermore, any app that denotes it contains loot boxes will automatically receive an age rating of 18+.
While Apple has refrained from commenting on the notifications, Google has mentioned that it has reminded developers of their responsibilities to adhere to ECA Digital standards. The company pointed out that developers assign age ratings on Google Play via the IARC system, which is in harmony with Brazil’s Ministry of Justice criteria based on self-reported questionnaires submitted with each application.