Three child-protection organizations in Brazil have urged a court to order Apple to enforce stricter age verifications for gambling apps after claims that the company allowed children to access them on the App Store.
The lawsuit was filed by Anced, Centro Santo Dias de Direitos Humanos, and Educafro Brasil, which have requested to introduce age checks within 10 days, and in case the court rules in favor of the organizations, Apple would either have to comply or face €85,000 per day fines for the violation.
The legal complaint targets how gambling apps on the App Store are distributed and challenges whether the existing protections are enough to block underage access. Specifically, it focuses on determining whether the verifications align with the ECA Digital law in Brazil, which covers children’s and teenagers’ online protections.
To support their argument, the lawsuit highlighted the case of Casino Roulette: Roulettist, which allows players to buy virtual chips that range from €3.38 to €101.98. The organizations have stressed that the 18+ listing for the app is only a label, and the actual app doesn’t require users to go through age verification with documents or facial recognition.
Representative of Anced, Márlon Reis, commented:
“It was recorded that, at no time, was proof of age, documentary verification, or facial recognition required to access the content.”
Responding to the accusations, Apple has since stated that it continues to improve its systems to better comply with Brazil’s laws, while age verification mechanisms are still in the testing process.
