Brazil sanctions law increasing penalties for digital crimes against children

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has sanctioned a new law in Brazil designed to increase penalties for digital crimes involving child pornography and sexual violence against children and adolescents. The legislation expands police investigative powers in digital environments and specifically targets the use of advanced technologies.

Under the new law, penalties for the production, sale, or exposure of sexual violence content against minors will increase from a range of 4 to 8 years to 4 to 10 years of imprisonment. If the crime is committed via the internet or social media, the sentence is increased by an additional one-third. The law also increases penalties for the distribution, possession, and storage of such material.

A critical component of the law is the increased severity for crimes involving artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfakes. The use of AI, deepfakes, fake profiles, or online gaming to groom or exploit victims can increase sentences by one-third to two-thirds. Additionally, harsher punishments apply when perpetrators exploit relationships of trust, authority, or family ties with the victims.