Brazil's Digital ECA: Rethinking monetization and design in games

Brazil's Digital Child and Adolescent Statute, the so-called Digital ECA, recently came into force in March 2026. At its core, the new law is about one thing: how children and teenagers are protected in digital environments.

The idea itself is not new. Brazil has long had a strong legal framework for the protection of minors through the previous ECA, the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente. The new law brings the same logic into the reality of apps, platforms and games, where a large part of the adolescent audience now spends its time.

In practical terms, the Digital ECA focuses on how digital products are designed, how they collect and use data and how they monetize user interaction. It places a particular emphasis on features that may affect younger users, especially where there is a risk of encouraging excessive engagement or spending.

For companies, this means compliance is no longer just about content moderation or terms of service. It goes deeper into product design decisions, including default settings, user flows and monetization models. That is why the law is getting so much attention from the games industry. It does not specifically target games, but it directly affects how many operate today.

Example: How the law approaches loot boxes

For years, the discussion around loot boxes was framed around whether they could be considered a form of gambling in Brazil. Instead of this debate, the Digital ECA looks at how these systems work and what they do to user behavior in younger audiences.