On January 13, 2025, a bill was signed into law to regulate students’ use of personal portable electronic devices, including cell phones, in public and private schools in Brazil. (

On January 13, 2025, a bill was signed into law to regulate students’ use of personal portable electronic devices, including cell phones, in public and private schools in Brazil. (Law No. 15,100.) It came into force upon its publication in the January 14 edition of Brazil’s official gazette.

The law, which applies in elementary, middle, and high schools, prohibits the use of portable electronic devices by students during classes, recess, and breaks. It provides that teachers may allow use of such devices for pedagogical purposes. The law allows their use in cases of danger or emergency. It also permits their use for purposes of ensuring accessibility and inclusion, addressing health conditions, and ensuring fundamental rights. (Arts. 2, 3.)

The stated purpose of the law is to safeguard the mental, physical, and psychological health of children and adolescents. (Art. 1.) It requires schools to develop strategies to address students’ mental health, including preventing excessive use of devices and inappropriate content. They must also offer training for personnel to detect signs of psychological distress and create spaces to support those suffering mental distress from the excessive use of electronic devices. (Art. 4.)

(Eduardo Soares. Brazil: New Law Prohibits Cell Phone Use in Schools, 2025. Disponível em: https://www.loc.gov/item/globallegal- monitor/2025-02-13/brazil-new-law-prohibits-cell-phone-usein- schools/. Adaptado)

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