Brazil: Ministry of Justice adopted ordinance on content classification system

On 15 October 2025, Brazil's Ministry of Justice adopted an ordinance regulating the national indicative content classification system, applicable across television, films, streaming, video games, applications, and public shows. The classification system aims to protect children and adolescents by providing guidance to parents and guardians, with content rated according to thematic axes including violence, sex/nudity, drugs, and interactivity. The ordinance establishes age ratings: L, 6, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18. It outlines two classification processes: official classification by the Ministry of Justice for works like theatrical films and physical video games, and self-classification by providers for open television, pay-television, and streaming services, which is subject to governmental monitoring. Self-classified works initially use provisional symbols until validated or changed by the Ministry, after which definitive symbols and content descriptors must be displayed. Providers of streaming and pay-television services must implement parental control blocking systems to restrict access to certain content. The ordinance requires the mandatory display of age rating symbols before and during most programmes and a verbal announcement for radio programmes. The National Secretariat for Digital Rights is responsible for the analysis, monitoring, and enforcement of the ordinance, including the power to reclassify works if self-classification is deemed incorrect. The rules also prohibit using classification to discriminate on grounds of politics, religion, or sexual orientation. Most provisions of the ordinance will take effect in November 2025, with specific rules for internet applications entering into force in March 2026.