LATAM nations ramp up regulations for age-restricted content online

Multiple countries in Latin America are adopting online safety regulations, making the region an area of focus for the next wave of global age assurance laws. A new regulatory guide from Veriff says that, “by 2026, age verification will be a compliance must in Latin America.” It breaks down changes in Brazil and Colombia, where new legal frameworks are putting new compliance pressures on operators.

The goal is to offer “a forward-looking roadmap for implementing proportionate age verification solutions that satisfy regulators without compromising user experience,” including Brazil’s walkthroughs of Brazil’s Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents and Colombia’s Ley 2489.

Brazil’s law, Law 15,211 (2025), “emphasizes the need for robust, auditable controls to prevent minors from accessing harmful content and services.” Veriff says it moves the needle from passive “terms of service” compliance to active verification.

“For businesses, the challenge is straightforward: meet regulators’ expectations for ‘reasonable assurance’ of age while maintaining a seamless user flow,” Veriff says. “The strategic approach must be risk-based and capable of withstanding regulatory audits.”

Meanwhile, Colombia’s Ley 2489, the Law for the Development of Healthy and Safe Digital Environments for Children and Adolescents, is not a direct technical mandate for age verification. But it “creates the legal structure under which governmental agencies must create policies to ensure digital safety.” In effect, it lays the groundwork for specific policies.

Veriff recommends that businesses map out their legal obligations, adopt a tiered verification model that offers both low-friction methods but ramps up to higher-assurance checks for high-risk transactions, document decisions for choosing specific verification methods, and audit and test regularly.

Uruguay likely to see age assurance laws in 2026

Uruguay is pushing ahead with a plan to regulate digital platforms in order to protect young people online. Regulations are to be designed by a multi-stakeholder commission made up of representatives from academia, the private sector and civil society organizations.

La Diaria Futuro reports that the initiative has broad support, and quotes Gustavo Gómez, executive director of the Latin American Observatory of Regulation, Media and Convergence (Observacom), who says “It’s an issue on Uruguay’s agenda, it will be prioritized, and it’s gaining significant consensus.”

While a specific proposal has not yet been agreed on, “there is agreement on the need to move forward and take action,” he says.

Those pushing for regulation cite free access to pornographic content, addictive algorithms, mental health, and problem gambling as factors motivating the regulations. As well, there are digital security concerns like impersonation and identity theft, phishing and hacking.

La Diaria quotes Argentine expert María Capurro, who says governments cannot rely on platforms to self-regulate. “The platform business model needs to be regulated so that the protection of children and adolescents is substantive, effective, and real, and not merely cosmetic,” Capurro says, noting that Latin America is “far behind” in the discussion.

Article Topics

age verification  |  biometric age estimation  |  biometrics  |  Brazil  |  Colombia  |  Latin America  |  legislation  |  Uruguay  |  Veriff