Brazilian authorities have filed a $97 million lawsuit against Discord, accusing the messaging and chat platform of failing to adequately protect children and teenagers from risks on its service.
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday after negotiations between the Brazilian government and Discord failed to resolve concerns over the platform’s child-safety measures. Authorities are seeking compensation for what they describe as collective moral damages while also demanding stronger protections for young users.
Brazil’s government said Discord has failed to comply with laws intended to protect children and adolescents online. It is also calling on the company to introduce more effective measures to protect children, teenagers and women from potential harm in the digital environment.
Discord has rejected the government’s position, arguing that the lawsuit is excessively harsh and does not accurately represent the company’s compliance with Brazilian laws.
The case comes after a disturbing incident in Brazil that placed Discord under increased scrutiny. On July 22, a 13-year-old girl in the western state of Mato Grosso do Sul died by suicide during a livestream after allegedly being encouraged to do so by a group of teenagers.
According to Brazil’s Justice Ministry, the teenagers initially pressured the girl to kill an animal. After she failed to do so, they allegedly encouraged her to take her own life. Four teenagers and one adult have since been arrested in connection with the case.
Following the incident, Brazil’s National Data Protection Agency ordered Discord on August 12 to suspend its livestreaming services. First Lady Rosangela Lula da Silva also called for stronger action against the platform.
Discord subsequently said it would stop its streaming services in Brazil and take additional steps to make the platform safer for teenagers. Brazilian authorities, however, said the company still had weaknesses in its age-verification and user-protection systems.
The lawsuit is part of a wider increase in scrutiny of major social media platforms over their treatment of younger users. Governments and regulators in several countries have been questioning whether technology companies are doing enough to prevent children from being exposed to harmful content and potentially addictive online services.
Brazil has also taken action against other major platforms. On Tuesday, the country’s data protection authority fined TikTok $30 million over alleged violations involving children’s privacy.
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Technology companies have generally argued that they cannot be held responsible for every piece of content posted by users or for how people choose to interact with their platforms. Critics, meanwhile, say platforms have been too slow to introduce stronger protections despite growing concerns about the effects of online services on young people’s safety and wellbeing.
