The Brazilian federal government will launch an administrative process against delivery platforms for failing to provide transparent pricing for consumers.

This action targets the lack of clarity regarding how delivery apps calculate final costs. By enforcing transparency, the government aims to protect consumers from hidden fees and ensure that platforms adhere to national consumer protection standards.

Guilherme Boulos, the minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, said the move on Wednesday [1]. The government said that the platforms failed to comply with a directive from the National Consumer Secretariat, known as SENACON [1, 2]. This specific regulation requires apps to provide a detailed breakdown of all taxes, tariffs, and other charges associated with every transaction [1, 2].

The administrative process seeks to hold these companies accountable for omitting the specific components of the prices charged to users [1]. Government officials said the lack of transparency prevents consumers from making informed decisions about the services they are purchasing [1].

Delivery platforms have been given a deadline of 20 days to respond to the administrative process [1]. This window allows the companies to present their defenses or adjust their pricing displays to meet the legal requirements set by SENACON [1].

Failure to comply with the transparency regulations could result in significant financial penalties. The government said that the maximum fine predicted for non-compliance is R$ 14 million [1]. This penalty serves as a deterrent to ensure that digital platforms operate within the legal framework of Brazilian consumer law [1].

The move comes as part of a broader effort by the federal government to regulate the digital economy and protect the rights of citizens in the gig economy — a sector that has seen rapid growth but inconsistent oversight [1].

“The government will launch an administrative process against delivery platforms for failing to provide transparent pricing.”

This move signals a shift toward stricter regulatory oversight of the gig economy in Brazil. By leveraging SENACON's authority, the government is attempting to standardize how digital intermediaries disclose costs, potentially forcing a change in the user interface and pricing models of major delivery apps to avoid multimillion-real fines.