The recent decision of the São Paulo Justice Court to authorize online advertising of firearms, including on social networks, represents a serious setback for public security policy, the culture of peace and the protection of children and adolescents. By accepting the appeal of the manufacturer Taurus, the TJ-SP ignores the legislation that protects life and neglects ethical responsibility in the face of the armed violence which is plaguing the country.
The logic of the Disarmament Statute is clear: the carrying and trading of arms are exceptions and not the rule. Therefore, advertising of weapons is restricted and directed only to those who can legally purchase them. The law on children and adolescents also explicitly prohibits the advertising of weapons to minors. The Court’s decision violates both of these legal frameworks and advances basic social protections.
It also reveals a lack of knowledge about the functioning of digital platforms, which allow children and adolescents to create accounts earlier and earlier and to be exposed to content without any mediation. Algorithm-based advertising can reach these audiences even without them following manufacturer profiles. This allows a deadly object to be presented as something common, acceptable, even desirable.
Brazil still bears the wounds of attacks on schools that cost the lives of students and teachers.
Research indicates a relationship between the presence of weapons and episodes of extreme violence, often involving weapons diverted from the legal market. Ignoring this risk means wasting lives, especially those who should be most protected.
Twenty years ago, during the gun referendum, society chose to maintain control of the trade, prioritizing the protection of life. This pact continues to be reflected in legislation that regulates weapons advertising and protects consumers, particularly children and adolescents, by labeling weapons and ammunition as content inappropriate for children under 18. The Consumer Protection Code also guarantees the right to security and protection against abusive practices.
Gun advertising invests in a dangerous idea: that it is possible to face insecurity with every armed individual. This is not tenable in the Brazilian reality, where the circulation of weapons is directly linked to the increase in crime and mortality. Promoting weapons as an instrument of personal defense takes advantage of public fear.
Businesses and institutions have a responsibility in the face of gun violence. Communication cannot encourage behavior that puts lives at risk. Children and adolescents must be protected, not become targets of the military market or seduced by symbols of power and violence. Life must be above all commercial interests.
Guns are not a kid’s thing.
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