In the last week and a half, Brazil moved fast: a huge public debate about “adultização” (pushing kids to act like adults online), arrests, and a bill pushed forward quickly. This shows the topic is urgent, but we also need to act wisely, not only fast.

• August 6 – YouTuber Felca posts a long video on “adultização.” It goes viral and starts a national conversation.
• August 11 – Reports say there are active investigations and that some accounts were removed. The story leads the news.
• August 15 – Influencer Hytalo Santos and his spouse are arrested as part of cases tied to harm and exploitation of minors.
• August 19 – The Chamber of Deputies approves fast-track status for a child online-safety bill.
• August 20–21 – The main draft passes in the Chamber, and the bill goes back to the Senate for more debate.

We should build an open, global standard for child safety on devices, made by regulators, operating-system makers (iOS/Android/Windows/macOS/ChromeOS), device makers, platforms, and child-safety companies. Key ideas:

• One clear approach across apps and platforms: not a patchwork where every app has different settings and parents must search in each one to protect their kids.
• Built-in OS tools for child-risk and wellbeing signals (chat, media, location, screen time), with parent choice to turn them on and to turn them off.
• Parent-approved oversight by trusted child-safety services: the standard should let certified services, with the parent’s permission, watch for risk signals across apps/devices and raise quick alerts when a child needs help or attention.
• Privacy by design: do as much as possible on the device, keep only the data you need, use strong encryption, and store data safely (on device and/or secure cloud).
• Clear and checkable: exportable logs, strong security rules, and independent labs to test and certify.
• Works well with others: a shared way to handle key features (filtering, risk signals, parental controls) so parents can switch providers without losing basic functions.
• Right duties for platforms (age checks, exposure limits, reporting paths), aligned with the device layer so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Simple success metrics: fewer cases of harm, faster response times, and better alerts (fewer false alarms and fewer missed cases), plus real gains in child wellbeing.

Brazil’s wake-up call is important, and it’s a chance to do better. Let’s turn this energy into a single, comprehensive standard on devices plus balanced rules for platforms. We can truly protect kids, without putting impossible pressure on parents and without killing innovation. One clear standard, plus parent-approved oversight by trusted safety services, can make it practical to spot risks and alert parents when they need to step in.

I’d love to hear your thoughts: what principles would you add to such a standard?