São Paulo Public Prosecutor opens inquiry into Corinthians and Fatal Fans

The Public Prosecutor's Office in São Paulo has launched a civil inquiry to investigate the Corinthians football club and the platform Fatal Fans for potential violations of children's and adolescents' rights. The investigation, initiated by prosecutor Santiago Miguel Nakano Perez of the Childhood and Youth division, follows a complaint filed by city councilwoman Keit Lima. The inquiry also targets FF Tecnologia Ltda., the company identified as operating the Fatal Fans platform and based in Pelotas. Prosecutor Perez has formally requested that Corinthians and Fatal Fans submit their sponsorship contract, media plan, and other relevant documents. Crucially, the platform is required to clarify the mechanisms it employs to verify user ages and prevent access by individuals under 18. The National Data Protection Agency (ANPD) has also been formally notified by the Public Prosecutor's Office. The investigation comes after Corinthians and Fatal Fans entered into a sponsorship agreement extending until the end of 2027. Under this deal, Fatal Fans is set to pay the club R$ 22 million to feature its brand on the team's uniforms. However, the agreement stipulates that the platform's advertising will not appear on the uniforms of youth teams or the women's football team. Corinthians has stated that it implemented safeguards in the contract, including the exclusion of youth and women's teams from the sponsorship visibility and a prohibition on direct association of the club with erotic themes. Despite these measures, FF Tecnologia Ltda. has reportedly not responded to any preliminary inquiries from the Public Prosecutor's Office.