Brazil Moves to Strengthen Legal Frameworks for Data Centers and Cybersecurity

Lawmakers and officials in Brazil are calling for clearer regulations governing the rapid expansion of data centers. Participants in a recent seminar highlighted the lack of a specific legal framework for data‑center licensing, noting that simplified environmental reports hide the true water and energy demand of projects such as a TikTok facility in Ceará and a massive center planned for Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul. Speakers warned that without detailed rules, water consumption could rise to millions of liters per day and electricity use could exceed the total demand of whole cities, raising concerns over hydric stress and noise.

At the same time, Brazil’s Institutional Security Office urged fast approval of a national cybersecurity law to protect critical infrastructure from emerging threats. Representative Marcelo Malagutti stressed that advances in artificial intelligence and quantum computing could soon compromise current encryption, making a legal framework that defines authority, liability for vulnerability testing, and coordination across public and private sectors essential. Both initiatives aim to create comprehensive, enforceable standards for emerging technologies in the country.