In response to the crisis with the audiovisual sector, the Lula government released a note highlighting five priority points for the streaming regulation bill in the Senate. The move comes after criticism from actor Wagner Moura and revelations in an audio from producer Paula Lavigne about alleged internal conspiracies. The text emphasizes advances like the 10% quota for Brazilian content but admits defeats on the Condecine rate.
The federal administration of President Lula issued a technical note to defend its stance on the bill regulating streaming services, approved in the Chamber in November 2025 and now in the Senate. The document states that the government shares the commitment to fair and sovereign regulation aimed at strengthening national and independent audiovisual production in Brazil. Among the highlighted advances is the guarantee of a 10% screen quota for Brazilian content on platforms.
However, the government admits defeat on the Condecine rate, the Contribution for the Development of the National Cinematographic Industry. The Ministry of Culture advocated 6% for all sectors, but the approved text sets 4% on annual gross revenue for closed platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Globoplay, Apple TV+, and Disney+, and a maximum of 0.8% for open platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Kwai, without direct deductions.
The note explains that at this stage, the bill is legally delimited, allowing only the incorporation of provisions from previously approved texts in the Senate (April 2024) or the Chamber. Thus, the government focuses on defending five priorities: 1) a unified 3% rate for all providers, with an expanded base, generating over R$ 2 billion annually for the Audiovisual Sectoral Fund and investments in independent production and training; 2) prohibition of deductions for reinvestments in productions with non-Brazilian intellectual property; 3) maintenance of Condecine for video on demand (VOD) services, avoiding distortions; 4) preservation of the 10% quota without counting 'originals'; 5) guarantee of a nine-week window in cinemas before streaming release.
These points were presented to the Senate rapporteur, Eduardo Gomes, in meetings involving the Presidency, Vice-Presidency, Civil House, Institutional Relations Secretariat, Social Communication Secretariat, Ministry of Culture, and Ancine.
The controversy intensified with a video from Wagner Moura, where the actor called the bills 'bizarre' and urged the government and Ministry of Culture, led by Margareth Menezes, to pay attention. Audiovisual professionals have criticized the MinC's handling since the start of the year, and filmmakers supported Moura. The government countered, claiming the 2022 Congress is unfavorable and that the text is the best possible.
An audio attributed to Paula Lavigne, producer and wife of Caetano Veloso, leaked revealing her indignation with Moura's video. She claims the recording was an idea from Paulo Alcoforado, an Ancine director appointed with her help, to sabotage Menezes. Lavigne accuses Alcoforado, along with Jandira Feghali and Manoel Rangel, of conspiring against the minister because Feghali coveted the position. 'I'm progressive, but I'm not unfair… I'm with the MinC seeing all the sacrifice they've been making,' she said in the audio. Lavigne blames Congress for the 'bizarreness' of the bill. Feghali denied conspiracy; the others did not respond.
