The National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon), an agency under the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security, has notified eight smartphone manufacturers. The reason for this is the complaint Mobile phones sold in stores and operators now come with pre-installed betting apps factory.
Many users have contacted consumer protection agencies to complain about the existence of sports betting and gambling apps. The sector is still under regulation in the country and the existence of such a service on mobile phones without the user’s option to opt-in is not yet included in any national legislation.
The reported brands are as follows:
- Samsung Brazil
- DL Comércio e Indústria de Produtos Eletrônicos (Xiaomi distributor)
- LG Brazil
- Motorola Mobility
- Positive
- Multi Laser
- TCL Semp Electronics
- Asus Brazil
LG, one of the names on the list, has not sold mobile phones since leaving the sector in 2021. Positivo will probably have to respond to Infinix, a brand represented by the company in the national territory.
Senacon provides details of possible contracts signed between the parties, as well as contracts signed between producers and bookmakers, and “Mechanisms to prevent the use of these applications” by some categories of consumers.
Risk of addiction and lack of choice
According to the Secretariat, pre-installation of applications that may be harmful to a part of the population may be considered an “abusive practice” brands. After all, in addition to the lack of choice regarding whether betting services will be available on the device, Generally vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and gambling addicts end up coming into contact With this kind of service.
“We cannot allow companies to infringe on the right to freedom of choice and clear information. Pre-installing apps without due consent and transparency can constitute an abusive practice, especially when it affects more vulnerable consumers such as children and the elderly,” said current National Consumer Secretary Wadih Damous.
So far None of the manufacturers involved have spoken publicly about the matter.The regulation of sports betting houses in Brazil comes into force in January 2025 and there are already more than 100 companies that have requested to participate in the government project.
Source: Tec Mundo
I’m Ben Stock, a highly experienced and passionate journalist with a career in the news industry spanning more than 10 years. I specialize in writing content for websites, including researching and interviewing sources to produce engaging articles. My current role is as an author at Gadget Onus, where I mainly cover the mobile section.
