Brazil Updates Telemarketing Rules to Combat Robocalls

Brazilian consumers experienced a massive influx of automated calls throughout 2025. These calls, known as robocalls, are silent automated dials that often hang up immediately after being answered. The volume of these calls reached approximately 10 billion per month across the country.

This figure represents roughly half of all phone calls made in Brazil. To combat this growing nuisance, the Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) took action by adopting new rules designed to reduce the impact of unwanted calls.

Anatel introduced a new verification seal to help consumers identify legitimate calls. This measure is targeted at companies, such as banks and call centers, that make more than 500,000 calls per month.

The seal appears as a round icon with a check mark symbol (✔) next to the number on the caller ID. It indicates that the number has been authenticated, confirming the identity of the caller. This system is designed to increase consumer security and reduce scams, specifically:

• Spoofing: Criminals falsifying numbers to impersonate real companies.
• Robocalls: Automated calls that disconnect immediately after being answered.

The verification system is currently in the implementation phase. Anatel expects companies making high volumes of calls to begin authenticating their lines starting in January. Consumers do not need to pay anything to receive authenticated calls; the cost falls on the calling companies.

Device Compatibility

The verification seal does not appear on all devices. According to Anatel requirements, the consumer's mobile phone must be:

• Connected to a 4G or 5G network.
• Running a compatible operating system version.

Compatible devices include:

• Apple: iOS 18.2 or higher (iPhone 11 through 17).
• Samsung: Android 10 or higher (Galaxy S23, S22, and others).
• Other Android devices: Android 11 or higher (Motorola Razr 50, Motorola Edge 50 Neo, and others).

The display of the seal varies by manufacturer. On Android devices, the seal appears on the screen before the call is answered. On iOS devices, the seal appears only in the call history.

In 2025, Anatel expanded the "Não Me Perturbe" (Do Not Disturb) platform. The agency mandated that all telecom operators, including small providers, must adhere to the system. Operators had until November 2 to comply with the regulation.

Previously, the platform was only adopted by participants of the Sistema de Autorregulação das Telecomunicações (SART), which included major operators like Claro, Vivo, TIM, Oi, Algar, Ligga, and Sky, as well as financial institutions. Now, "Não Me Perturbe" serves as the official sector platform for combating unwanted calls.

Companies are now prohibited from offering services by telephone to consumers registered on the list. The platform helps block offers for:

• Telecommunications services (phone, TV, and internet).
• Financial services (loans and credit cards).

Consumers can register for free at www.naomeperturbe.com.br. Despite these measures, experts note that the platform does not completely eliminate excessive calls, as sales companies and scammers may ignore the registration list.

In August, Anatel responded to requests from operators and industry representatives by eliminating the requirement for the 0303 prefix for telemarketing calls. This prefix was introduced in 2022 to exclusively identify active telemarketing activities, helping consumers identify unwanted calls.

Anatel stated that the prefix led to the "stigmatization" of calls. The agency reported that many people blocked numbers with the 0303 prefix or simply refused to answer them. Consequently, the requirement was removed to address these issues.

This decision drew criticism from consumer defense organizations, including Procons Brasil and the Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor (Idec). These associations argued that removing the prefix benefits the telemarketing sector and could facilitate the spread of fraud, as consumers lose a clear indicator of the call's origin.