TikTok has expressed its willingness to discuss its operations in Brazil with the government after concerns raised by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and First Lady Rosangela da Silva about the platform’s impact on children and women.

Their concerns came after an 8-year-old girl in Brasilia reportedly died last month after taking part in a TikTok challenge.

A government official said TikTok communicated with Brazil’s foreign minister, offering to discuss regulatory measures. The Brazilian government views this as a positive step.

At a dinner in Beijing, Lula asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to send an envoy to Brazil to discuss regulating social media platforms, including TikTok.

The push for regulation follows the First Lady’s public call last month for urgent action on social media. She has since reduced her own use of social media due to critical comments made online.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Brazil’s TikTok regulation push follows pattern of asserting digital sovereignty

Brazil’s approach to TikTok reflects its broader strategy of asserting control over digital platforms operating within its borders.

The government recently banned X (formerly Twitter) after the platform failed to comply with court orders regarding content moderation, demonstrating Brazil’s willingness to take decisive action against non-compliant tech companies 1.

This regulatory assertiveness extends beyond social media, as shown by Brazil’s January 2025 notice to Meta demanding compliance with national laws regarding content moderation and digital operations 2.

The “Fake News” Bill (Bill 2630/2020) currently under consideration would require platforms to identify and remove illegal content, implement due diligence processes, and provide regular content moderation reports 3.

Brazil’s approach represents a global trend where governments are increasingly challenging the power of tech platforms, with President Lula specifically emphasizing that “sovereignty and accountability” for digital platforms are non-negotiable 2.

2️⃣ Child safety incidents drive social media regulatory momentum worldwide

The First Lady’s concerns about TikTok following an 8-year-old’s death allegedly linked to a platform challenge reflects a documented pattern of safety issues that have plagued the platform for years.

As early as 2019, investigations revealed TikTok was struggling to suspend accounts of users sending sexual messages to minors, with hundreds of explicit comments found on videos posted by children as young as nine 4.

Recent TikTok developments