Brazil's new app content ratings make a little more sense than ours

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Brazil does (at least) a few things better than us here in the U.S. Beaches for one (and I say that as a Gulf Coast native, albeit one for more casual nudity and fewer beer bellies), soccer for another (though we're getting better on that front) — and now Android app ratings. Google today announced that Brazil gets is own "Brazil-specific rating" when it comes to apps in Google Play.

Developers don't actually have to do anything — these new ratings will live side-by-side with the existing ratings. They just make a little more sense.

Brazil app content rating system

Here's the deal, as announced in the Google Play developer console:

To help ensure compliance with local regulations, Google Play now includes a Brazil-specific rating on your apps' detail pages. Brazil-specific ratings are automatically created using your apps' existing content ratings on your Developer Console and are displayed for users in Brazil.

An L rating means everything is sunshine and rainbows. A 10 (and this means not recommended for children younger than 10) equals low maturity and may contain violence, criminal acts and legal drugs. The next-highest rating is 14, which equals medium maturity, and the Brazilian ratings top out at 16.

It's actually an interesting look at how recommended ages stand up next to supposed levels of maturity — and Google's support documentation links to the legalese behind it all (PDF).

More: Google Play support

Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson
18 Comments
  • they do all this for the apps and show sex, drugs and naked people during the prime time in the soap operas.
  • Actually those (and every other TV show) are also rated under the same criteria, and the ratings are shown full screen before the show starts (at least it did, I don't know if it still shows full screen because honestly I don't watch TV anymore)
  • Aqui no Brasil a playstore já estar com esse sistema de classificação ha uma semana. Isso é usado obrigatoriamente na tv.
  • Obrigado, é sempre bom ouvir a opinião brasileira depois de um artigo do Brasil! Excuse my basic Portuguese. I'm curious to see how well this works. Maybe we can learn something from this. Posted via Android Central App
  • Seu português estar muito bom. Aqui no Brasil é no cotidiano que lhe damos com este tipo de classificação.
  • Confundo Português e Espanhol e Latim constantemente. Is anyone opposed to the ratings there? Posted via Android Central App
  • I have never hear any complaints about this ratings. I think they are quite objective and clear. Your Brazilian Portuguese is very good. . No mistake and better than Pedro's haha. If you want help you can talk with me ;)
  • I haven't seen complaints either, and actually I think most people don't stop to think about it very often, and most people ignore it even when they have children. What I can say is that we get kinda confused with american ratings, because we are so accustomed with our number/color system
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOpjYE-iPnY
  • So criminal violence is good for 10 year olds? Geesh, no wonder the world is going down the tubes.
  • The YouTubes. Posted via Android Central App
  • I'm sure it means that they probably deal with it in their everyday lives anyways, so they might as well allow it. "You can't see violence on tour phone, but you can see it on the streets" "I'm da Blur boys!" - Me with 1200 ping. Yes. My Internet got worse.
  • Sounds like US of A, tbh Posted via the Android Central App
  • *the artistic depiction of violence Children understand the difference. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I actually can think of dozens of cartoons that are made for kids and display violence anyway. It's a sensitive subject.
  • Actually you can do all kinds of neat stuff with the ratings, like enable parental control on cable on different time tables so you can let your young ones surf through channels after school without seeing things you think they are not mature enough to understand but when they're asleep go and watch your Game of Thrones without hassle. Brazilians are scarred by the use of the word "censorship" so it's a recommendation NOT a prohibition. The idea behind it is allow parents to make informed decisions. If they don't give a fuck, they ignore the ratings. The only thing expressly forbidden is selling cigarettes and alcohol to minors, although teenagers can drink with their parents permission (and in front of them). Teens can go to movies not recommended but the parent has to give written permission. Same goes for travelling alone or going to live shows. We have just one age of maturity here and that's 18. There's none of those "over 21" rules.
  • One of the few (I mean VERY few) things Brazil has better than US or Canada. I think it's very important specially for parents who now have a trusted source and way to set parental control and let their kids free to discover new apps and games.
  • I prefer rating systems that just describe the content but don't assign an age. Assigning an age makes parents lazy.