Paulo Higa

Paulo Seikishi Higa (Chiba, Japan, April 15, 1993) is a Brazilian journalist, manager, and public servant. He was appointed to the Specialist in Public Policy and Government Management (EPPGG)¹ career track in Brazil’s federal civil service², with an initial assignment to the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD)³. Previously, he served as a Public Policy and Government Management Analyst (APPGG) at São Paulo City Hall and as an Advisor to the Secretary’s Office⁴ at the Municipal Department of Education (SME, in the Portuguese acronym). At the SME, he took part in strategic planning and public communication initiatives⁵, as well as governance and data analysis projects, among them the modeling of learning and equity criteria for the new Educational Performance Bonus (PDE)⁶.

Before entering public administration, Higa built his career in digital media as executive editor, head of operations, and partner at Tecnoblog, Brazil’s largest independent technology website⁷. During his tenure at the outlet from 2012 to 2023, the site reached over 30 million monthly pageviews.⁷⁸ Author of more than 400 consumer electronics reviews⁹ and co-host of the Tecnocast podcast¹⁰, he won the Especialistas Award for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022)¹¹ and was a finalist for the Comunique-se Award¹². He holds a degree in Journalism from Faculdade Cásper Líbero, a journalism school in São Paulo, and an MBA in Management with an Emphasis on Leadership and Innovation from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV), one of Brazil’s leading business schools.

1. Origins and Background

1.1 Early Life and Initial Career

Born on April 15, 1993, in Chiba Prefecture, Japan,¹³¹⁴ Paulo Higa grew up in Brazil. In interviews, he described his interest from a young age in reverse engineering, dismantling watches to understand how they worked.¹⁴

His entry into the digital world came through active participation in internet discussion forums. Before joining Tecnoblog, Higa managed the blog “Guia do PC”¹⁵ and contributed to TechTudo, where he was described as a Computer Science student and technology enthusiast.¹⁶

1.2 Academic Background

In 2011, he enrolled in the Bachelor of Science and Technology (BC&T), an interdisciplinary foundation program at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), in Greater São Paulo, intending to complete the credits required for a dual degree including a bachelor’s in Computer Science.¹⁴¹⁶ He later redirected his education toward Journalism, graduating from Faculdade Cásper Líbero in 2017.¹³ His undergraduate capstone project was PodPods, a five-episode podcast that interviewed podcasters of the time, portrayed the medium’s landscape in 2017, and pointed to future trends.¹⁷ He later completed an MBA in Management with an Emphasis on Leadership and Innovation at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in 2022.¹³

1.3 Road Running and Other Hobbies

His leisure activities include cooking and road running. Running is the more frequent of the two: between 2021 and 2026, Higa completed at least one long-distance race every year.¹⁸

His first marathon (42.195 km, or 26.2 miles) was the Maratona Monumental de Brasília in 2021, followed by races of the same distance in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Curitiba, New York City, and Porto Alegre. In 2023, he also completed the Paraty Brazil by UTMB, a trail-running ultramarathon of 55 km with 2,682 meters of elevation gain (about 34 miles and 8,800 feet). The table below lists the marathons and ultramarathons he has run so far.

2. Tecnoblog (2012–2023): Technology Journalism and Editorial Management

2.1 Editorial Career

Paulo Higa joined Tecnoblog in 2012 as an editor. Over a decade, he published thousands of articles and conducted more than 400 detailed device reviews, covering everything from smartphones and computers to TVs and wearables.⁹

In 2018, he became a partner in the venture,¹⁴ also holding the title of Executive Editor. During this period, the team expanded to more than 30 professionals.⁷ The outlet maintained an editorial policy of independence from manufacturers and advertisers.¹⁹ This approach is evident in in-depth analyses of topics such as Microsoft’s recent trajectory and the Windows 10 Mobile saga, antitrust decisions involving Google and the European Union, the transition of Macs to Apple Silicon, and the impact of U.S. trade restrictions on Huawei, among others.²⁰

2.2 Head of Operations

Between 2018 and 2023, also serving as Head of Operations, Higa was responsible for the technical and commercial viability of Tecnoblog.¹³ The site reached more than 30 million monthly pageviews,⁷⁸ making it one of Brazil’s largest independent technology sites. The role covered traffic and SEO management, leadership of distributed teams, and operation of the programmatic advertising ecosystem and branded content projects.

2.3 Tecnocast

As co-host of Tecnocast,²¹ one of Brazil’s leading podcasts on technology, innovation, and business, Higa took part in episodes on topics such as the geopolitical implications of supply chains,²² privacy in emerging technologies,²³ data breaches, chip geopolitics, the future of work, the LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados, Brazil’s General Data Protection Law), and digital currency.²⁴ Released in 2018, the episode Tecnocast 100 told the history of Tecnoblog from its founding, including Higa’s own arrival at the site.²⁵

2.4 Review Methodology

Higa’s written output at Tecnoblog included explanatory articles on industry standards. A distinctive feature of his reviews was the integration with real-world use: by running 42 km with a smartwatch, his analysis of GPS accuracy or battery life incorporated data from extended use.²⁶ He also covered events in more than 10 countries, including trade fairs such as the Mobile World Congress (MWC, in Barcelona), the Consumer Electronics Show (CES, in Las Vegas) — where he flagged the 2022 edition as his last — and Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), as well as launches by manufacturers such as Samsung and Huawei and the Snapdragon Tech Summit in Hawaii; several of these trips were documented in behind-the-scenes vlogs.²⁷

2.5 Radio Appearances

In 2017, while still a journalism student and an editor at Tecnoblog, Higa was invited to take part in the program CBN Gerações, on CBN, a leading Brazilian news radio network, alongside engineer and columnist B. Piropo, author of the column “Trilha Zero” in the major Brazilian newspaper O Globo between 1991 and 2005. The program was conceived as an intergenerational dialogue about technology. On that occasion, Higa argued that the greatest advances in artificial intelligence would come not in decades, but in just a few years, and that technology would transform not only games, as illustrated by AlphaGo, Google’s system that had recently defeated the world Go champion, but also health, education, and the way people work and think.²⁸ Between 2022 and 2023, large language models such as ChatGPT and generative AI systems achieved mass adoption in these areas. Higa also identified the decline of the traditional PC in favor of the smartphone as the primary device for internet access. The appearance foreshadowed his work as a technology columnist on Rádio Globo, between 2018 and 2019.⁸

At Rádio Globo, Higa hosted a weekly live column on Café das Seis, the network’s morning news program, broadcast simultaneously by its Rio de Janeiro station (FM 98.1 MHz), anchored by Carolina Morand and Fernando Ceylão, and its São Paulo station (FM 94.1 MHz), anchored by Mariana Godoy and Marc Tawil. In the column, he was responsible for selecting and presenting stories on technology, innovation, and digital behavior for a broad, non-specialist audience, translating technical topics into accessible language.²⁹

2.6 Industry Recognition

Higa received the Especialistas Award, from the Brazilian trade magazine Negócios da Comunicação,¹¹ in the Consumer Electronics category for three consecutive years: 2020, 2021, and 2022. He was also a finalist for the Comunique-se Award¹², described by its organizers as the “Oscar of Brazilian Journalism”¹², in the Technology category in 2019 and 2021.³⁰

3. Sabbatical Period (2023–2024)

3.1 Departure from Tecnoblog

In 2023, Paulo Higa closed his chapter at Tecnoblog, stepping down from his positions as Executive Editor and Head of Operations. Higa did not publicly announce his departure: in a thread on the site’s community forum, readers asked “What happened to Paulo Higa?”, and former colleagues said he was taking a “sabbatical year”.³¹

3.2 Online Presence and Personal Interests

During and after the sabbatical, his personal website, higa.me, remained minimalist, serving as a static résumé rather than an active blog.¹³ He stated that he does not use social media, offering only an email form for contact.¹³

During this period, Higa dedicated himself to personal interests: long-distance running, accumulating more than 12,000 km (about 7,500 miles) recorded through January 2026,¹⁸ with participation in races such as the Paraty Brazil by UTMB (55 km, September 2023),³² as well as an interest in wine and cooking.

4. São Paulo City Hall (2024–2026)

4.1 Entry into Municipal Management

In 2024, after placing 19th among 7,760 applicants³³ in a civil service exam,³⁴ with a final score of 213.89,³⁵ Higa joined São Paulo City Hall³⁶ as a Public Policy and Government Management Analyst (APPGG), assigned to the Strategic Planning and Management Unit (UPGE) of the Municipal Department of Education (SME). He was later appointed as an Advisor to the Secretary’s Office.³⁷

4.2 Redesigning the Educational Performance Bonus (PDE)

At the SME, Higa contributed to modeling the criteria for the Educational Performance Bonus (PDE),⁶ a revised model that prioritized payment based on improved student learning outcomes and reduction of inequalities. The change broke with the previous model, which for 16 years had rewarded almost exclusively attendance: in practice, an employee only had to avoid missing work to earn the maximum bonus, with no connection to educational performance.⁶ Among the new criteria, alongside the inclusion of learning outcomes, were a bonus for preschool attendance — a mandatory stage of education — and an extra reward for the schools that improve the most on the indicators.⁶ In all, R$ 206 million was paid out, 14% more than in 2024, with an increase in the maximum amount per educator as well.⁶ Higa also developed a payment simulator⁵ that allowed the school network’s roughly 88,000 educators to estimate how much they would receive. The redesigned PDE was awarded 3rd place in the Large Scale category of Prêmia Sampa 2026, São Paulo City Hall’s award recognizing the best initiatives and innovative practices by municipal civil servants.³⁸³⁹

Beyond the PDE, he contributed to the 2026–2029 Strategic Planning,⁴⁰ developing data dashboards⁴¹ and communication materials⁴² for the listening sessions with staff across the municipal school network. The 2026–2029 Strategic Planning was a semifinalist in the Internal Processes category of Prêmia Sampa 2026.³⁸ Successive appointments published in the Official Gazette document his progression through the department’s roles.^3643437

4.3 Appointment to the Office of the Comptroller General of the City of São Paulo (2026)

On June 10, 2026, the City of São Paulo’s Official Gazette published Higa’s appointment to the permanent position of Auditor Municipal de Controle Interno (AMCI, the city’s internal control auditor career), Level I, General area, after he placed 9th on the general list of the corresponding civil service exam.⁴⁴ AMCI positions are based at the Office of the Comptroller General of the City of São Paulo (CGM-SP), the body responsible for internal control, auditing, disciplinary oversight, ombudsman activities, and the promotion of integrity and transparency in the municipal administration.⁴⁵

5. Federal Career: Unified National Civil Service Exam (2026)

5.1 The CNU and the EPPGG Career

In 2026, Higa passed the Unified National Civil Service Exam (CNU),⁴⁶ nicknamed by the Brazilian press the “Enem dos Concursos” after Enem, Brazil’s nationwide standardized high school exam,⁴⁷ for the position of Specialist in Public Policy and Government Management (EPPGG), linked to the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI). The EPPGG career¹ is responsible for formulating, implementing, and evaluating public policies within the Federal Executive Branch, with assignments across various areas of government.⁴⁸

5.2 Performance, Training at Enap, and Certification of the Final Results

Classification lists for the CNU indicate a final score of 87.50 for Higa, corresponding to 83rd place out of a total of 241,837 applicants⁴⁹ for the EPPGG position in his block.⁵⁰ The Training Course, the final, pass-or-fail stage of the exam, was held by the National School of Public Administration (Enap) in Brasília, covering topics such as ethics, human rights, government planning, and public finances.⁴⁸ Higa passed the training course with a score of 92.56, the eighth highest in his class, as published in Brazil’s federal Official Gazette (Diário Oficial da União, DOU) on May 26, 2026.⁵¹

The final results were certified by Notice (Edital) No. 92, of June 9, 2026, issued by the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services and published in the federal Official Gazette on June 10, 2026. Higa is listed among the candidates who secured one of the available positions for the EPPGG role at the MGI (position code B7-09-E), with a final score of 180.06 and 4th place in the open competition ranking of his classification list.⁵²

5.3 Appointment and Assignment to the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD)

Following certification of the final results, Higa was appointed to the position of Specialist in Public Policy and Government Management (EPPGG) by MGI Ordinance No. 7,912, of July 8, 2026, published in the federal Official Gazette.² He was then given his initial assignment to the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) by MGI Ordinance No. 7,918, of July 8, 2026, also published in the DOU.³ The ANPD is the federal agency responsible for safeguarding personal data protection and for implementing and enforcing Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD).

6. Biographical Summary

Paulo Higa’s career spans two distinct phases. In media, he worked as a reporter at TechTudo (Globo.com) from 2010 to 2012, and at Tecnoblog from 2012 to 2023, serving as editor, executive editor, head of operations, and partner. He also served as a technology columnist on Rádio Globo (2018–2019),⁸ focused on communicating technical topics to broad audiences. During this period, he combined journalistic production, editorial and operational management, and received industry recognition.

In public administration, Higa served for about two years (2024–2026) as a Public Policy and Government Management Analyst (APPGG) and Advisor to the Secretary’s Office at São Paulo’s Municipal Department of Education, where he contributed to the modeling of the Educational Performance Bonus (PDE) and to strategic planning, data analysis, and public communication projects. In 2026, he passed the Unified National Civil Service Exam (CNU) and completed the Enap training course in Brasília, entering the federal Specialist in Public Policy and Government Management (EPPGG) career, linked to the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI) — a step that marks the continuation of his trajectory in the public sector.⁵² In July 2026, he was appointed to the position and given his initial assignment to the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD).²³ That same period, he was also appointed Auditor Municipal de Controle Interno at the Office of the Comptroller General of the City of São Paulo.⁴⁴ His journalistic output at Tecnoblog remains available in the site’s archive;⁹ in public administration, his work is documented in Official Gazette records and in the tools developed at the SME.

7. References