Brazil’s data protection regulator has ordered Discord to suspend its live-streaming feature after a 13-year-old girl was allegedly encouraged to take her own life during a Discord broadcast.
Discord allows users to create and join interest-based communities, known as servers, and communicate through text, voice calls, video calls and the platform’s “Go Live” streaming feature.
Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) began its investigation on August 7 following the death of the teenager. According to reports, members of a Discord server allegedly pressured the girl to end her life.
Discord told the BBC that it was “carefully considering” the ANPD’s order and remained “committed to the safety of our users.”
“Groups or individuals that promote or encourage violence have no place on Discord,” a company spokesperson said.
“We conducted a swift investigation, shut down the invite-only server involved immediately after its creation, and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement in their investigation.”
According to Reuters, external, the ANPD found that Discord did not have real-time access to livestream content, limiting its ability to automatically detect harmful or illegal activity.
Discord is available through desktop and mobile apps and has more than 200 million monthly active users. The platform is particularly popular among gamers and online communities.
A Discord spokesperson said the investigation found evidence that criminal activity had been “coordinated on other platforms before the Discord server was created” and continued “even after those involved were banned from Discord.”
Five teenagers have reportedly been arrested in connection with the girl’s death.
Discord has three days to comply with the livestreaming suspension and may appeal the decision within 10 business days.
The company could face fines of up to 50 million reais, or approximately $9.67 million, for each violation.
The ANPD said the suspension will remain in place until Discord demonstrates that it has “appropriate safeguards for minors,” including effective age-verification measures.
The case follows broader scrutiny of social media platforms and their responsibility to protect children and teenagers online.
In a separate case, Brazil’s Supreme Court lifted a platform ban in October 2024 after the company agreed to pay 28 million reais, equivalent to approximately $5.1 million or £3.8 million, in fines and appoint a local representative as required by Brazilian law.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk