What is the primary objective of **LGPD**?

**The primary objective of LGPD is to protect the fundamental rights of freedom and privacy of natural persons by establishing rules for the processing of personal data.** Enacted as Law No. 13.709/2018, it unifies fragmented regulations under 10 core principles (Art. 6), including purpose limitation, necessity, transparency, security, prevention, non-discrimination, and accountability, while granting data subjects rights like access, correction, deletion, portability, and objection to automated decisions (Art. 18).

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **LGPD**?

**All controllers and processors handling personal data of individuals located in Brazil must comply with LGPD, regardless of company size or location.** Its extraterritorial scope (Art. 3) applies to any processing in Brazil, targeting Brazilian residents for goods/services, or collecting data there—impacting global firms in e-commerce, fintech, healthcare, and cloud services, with no thresholds for micro/small entities.

Does **LGPD** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**LGPD does not mandate external audits or third-party certification.** The **Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados (ANPD)** conducts audits (Arts. 55-56), but organizations must maintain Records of Processing Activities (Art. 37), perform Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for high-risk processing (Art. 38), and demonstrate compliance via internal governance, including DPO appointment for controllers (Art. 41).

How often should an assessment for **LGPD** be performed?

**LGPD assessments, including Records of Processing Activities and DPIAs, must be maintained continuously and updated for changes in processing activities.** ANPD regulations like CD/ANPD No. 02/2022 require ongoing records (simplified for small entities), with DPIAs for high-risk cases like legitimate interests (Art. 38); practical guidance recommends quarterly internal audits and annual reviews to align with evolving ANPD rules (e.g., Res. 15/2024).

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **LGPD**?

**Non-compliance with LGPD triggers graduated sanctions by ANPD, including fines up to 2% of Brazilian revenue (capped at R$50 million per infraction), data processing suspension up to 6 months, and deletion/blocking orders.** Factors like gravity, cooperation, and safeguards influence penalties (Art. 53); additional civil liabilities for damages (Art. 42) and reputational harm apply to controllers/processors handling B2B/employee data.

Can **LGPD** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, LGPD can be mapped to other international frameworks due to shared principles like purpose limitation, minimization, and data subject rights.** Its 10 principles and bases align closely with GDPR (e.g., rights under Art. 18), enabling hybrid programs, though nuances like Brazil revenue-based fines (vs. global) and no adequacy decisions require tailored adaptations for multinationals.

What is the first step to begin implementing **LGPD**?

**The first step to implement LGPD is appointing a Data Protection Officer (DPO) and conducting data mapping to create a Record of Processing Activities (RoPA).** Per Art. 41, publish DPO details; map flows, purposes, legal bases (Art. 7), sensitive data, and transfers (Phase 1 guidance), prioritizing high-risk areas to enforce principles (Art. 6) and inform governance.

What is the primary objective of **WCAG**?

**The primary objective of WCAG is to provide a technology-agnostic standard for making web content accessible to people with disabilities through testable success criteria organized under the POUR principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.** WCAG, developed by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, structures 13 guidelines into normative success criteria at Levels A, AA, and AAA. Conformance requires meeting all criteria up to the chosen level for full pages and complete processes, using only accessibility-supported technologies, with non-interference from nonconforming content.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **WCAG**?

**WCAG compliance is required for U.S. public-sector entities under the DOJ ADA Title II rule mandating WCAG 2.1 Level AA by 2026/2027, and federal agencies via Section 508 alignment.** Courts reference WCAG in ADA Title III litigation for private websites. Internationally, EN 301 549 under the EU EAA (effective June 28, 2025) mandates WCAG alignment for ICT products/services. Vendors face procurement requirements via VPAT/ACR; enterprises adopt it for risk management and market access.

Does **WCAG** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**WCAG does not require external audits or third-party certification; conformance is self-assessed against normative success criteria.** The W3C states claims are optional but must detail version, level, scope (full pages, complete processes), accessibility-supported technologies, and testing. Techniques are informative only; organizations use internal audits, automated tools, manual testing, and user validation for defensible claims, often producing VPAT/ACR for procurement.

How often should an assessment for **WCAG** be performed?

**WCAG assessments should be performed continuously via CI/CD integration, with periodic full audits quarterly or biannually.** W3C recommends ongoing monitoring for regressions, automated scans per release, manual/AT testing for critical paths, and annual independent reviews. Prioritize high-traffic pages and complete processes; track via dashboards measuring defect density and remediation SLAs.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **WCAG**?

**Non-compliance with WCAG exposes organizations to ADA litigation (thousands of cases yearly), settlements with remediation mandates, and fines under regulations like Section 508 or EAA.** Courts use WCAG as the benchmark; consequences include injunctive relief, statutory damages up to $150k per violation, contract losses, and reputational harm. Documented good-faith efforts mitigate risks.

Can **WCAG** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, WCAG success criteria directly map to EN 301 549, underpinning EU EAA and national laws like AODA.** WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA aligns with Section 508 Revised 508 Standards. Its technology-agnostic design enables consistent conformance claims across frameworks without altering criteria.

What is the first step to begin implementing **WCAG**?

**The first step to implement WCAG is conducting a Preliminary Review: inventory digital assets, prioritize by traffic/risk, and baseline against success criteria using automated scans and manual checks.** W3C advises defining scope (full pages, processes), then establishing policy, governance, and remediation roadmap targeting Level AA.

LGPD vs WCAG | GRADUM

Standards Comparison

LGPD

Mandatory

2020

Brazil's comprehensive regulation for personal data protection

WCAG

Voluntary

2023

W3C standard for accessible web content to disabled users.

Quick Verdict

LGPD mandates data protection for Brazilian residents with fines up to 2% revenue, while WCAG provides voluntary guidelines for accessible web content. Companies adopt LGPD for legal compliance in Brazil; WCAG to mitigate lawsuits, enhance UX, and meet procurement.

Data Privacy

LGPD

Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais (Law No. 13.709/2018)

Cost

€€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

12-18 months

Key Features

Extraterritorial scope targeting Brazilian residents worldwide
10 core principles including prevention and non-discrimination
Fines up to 2% Brazilian revenue capped at R$50M
Mandatory DPO appointment for controllers with public disclosure
SCCs mandatory for cross-border transfers by August 2025

Web Accessibility

WCAG

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2

Cost

€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

POUR principles organize accessibility requirements
Testable success criteria at A, AA, AAA levels
Technology-agnostic and backward compatible versions
Normative criteria separate from informative techniques
Conformance for full pages and processes

Detailed Analysis

A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

LGPD Details

What It Is

Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais (LGPD), Law No. 13.709/2018, is Brazil's comprehensive data protection regulation. It governs personal data processing with extraterritorial scope for Brazilian residents, emphasizing privacy as a fundamental right via a risk-based approach with 10 principles like purpose limitation and accountability.

Key Components

**10 principlesPurpose limitation, necessity, transparency, security, prevention, non-discrimination, accountability.
**Data subject rightsAccess, correction, deletion, portability, objection to automated decisions.
**Legal bases10 options including consent, contracts, legitimate interests.
**GovernanceMandatory DPO for controllers, DPIAs for high-risk processing, enforced by ANPD with graduated sanctions up to 2% Brazilian revenue (R$50M cap).

Why Organizations Use It

LGPD compliance mitigates fines, operational disruptions, reputational harm; enables trust-building, market access in Brazil's digital economy, synergies with GDPR for multinationals.

Implementation Overview

Phased risk-based methodology: governance/DPO appointment, data mapping/RoPAs, policies/DSRs, technical controls, vendor management/SCCs, training, audits. Applies to all sizes/industries processing Brazilian data; no certification but ANPD audits/enforcement.

WCAG Details

What It Is

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by W3C's Accessibility Guidelines Working Group, is a technology-agnostic framework standardizing web content accessibility for people with disabilities. Its scope covers websites, apps, and digital documents, using a layered, testable approach of principles, guidelines, and success criteria focused on POUR.

Key Components

**POUR principlesPerceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust as foundational framework.
13 guidelines with ~80 success criteria across A (basic), AA (standard), AAA (advanced) levels.
Informative techniques, failures, and resources like Quick Reference.
Conformance model mandates full pages, complete processes, accessibility-supported tech, non-interference.

Why Organizations Use It

Fulfills legal drivers (ADA, Section 508, EN 301 549, EAA).
Mitigates litigation risks with rising lawsuits.
Drives UX improvements, SEO, conversion uplifts, market expansion.
Enhances reputation, procurement eligibility, stakeholder trust.

Implementation Overview

Phased: governance/policy, assessment, remediation via design systems/tools (axe, WAVE), training, audits, monitoring. Suits all sizes/industries globally; AA typical target. No certification but VPAT/ACR audits; blends automated/manual/user testing.

Key Differences

Aspect	LGPD	WCAG
Scope	Personal data processing and protection	Web content accessibility for disabilities
Industry	All sectors processing Brazilian data	All digital content publishers globally
Nature	Mandatory Brazilian data protection law	Voluntary W3C web accessibility guidelines
Testing	DPIAs, records, breach simulations	Automated scans, manual audits, user testing
Penalties	Fines up to 2% Brazilian revenue	No direct penalties, litigation risks

Scope

LGPD

Personal data processing and protection

WCAG

Web content accessibility for disabilities

Industry

LGPD

All sectors processing Brazilian data

WCAG

All digital content publishers globally

Nature

LGPD

Mandatory Brazilian data protection law

WCAG

Voluntary W3C web accessibility guidelines

Testing

LGPD

DPIAs, records, breach simulations

WCAG

Automated scans, manual audits, user testing

Penalties

LGPD

Fines up to 2% Brazilian revenue

WCAG

No direct penalties, litigation risks

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about LGPD and WCAG

LGPD FAQ

WCAG FAQ

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LGPD

WCAG

Quick Verdict

LGPD

Key Features

WCAG

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

LGPD Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

WCAG Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

Key Differences

Scope

Industry

Nature

Testing

Penalties

Frequently Asked Questions

LGPD FAQ

What is the primary objective of LGPD?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with LGPD?

Does LGPD require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for LGPD be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with LGPD?

Can LGPD be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing LGPD?

WCAG FAQ

What is the primary objective of WCAG?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with WCAG?

Does WCAG require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for WCAG be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with WCAG?

Can WCAG be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing WCAG?

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