6 days ago
Brazil Sues Discord for $97 Million Over Child Safety Failures
Brazil is suing Discord because it says the platform did not do enough to protect children.
The government wants about $97 million in compensation.
The lawsuit follows the death of a 13-year-old girl after she was allegedly encouraged to harm herself during a livestream.
Five teenagers were arrested, and one report also says an adult was arrested.
Brazil had already ordered Discord to stop livestreaming in the country.
The government says Discord’s age checks and safety tools are still not strong enough.
It wants better parental controls and systems that can find dangerous content.
Discord says the lawsuit is unfair but wants to keep working with Brazil to improve safety.
Brazil filed a lawsuit seeking R$500 million, or about $97 million, from Discord over alleged child-safety failures.
The case follows a July incident in which a 13-year-old girl was allegedly encouraged to kill herself during a livestream.
Brazil says Discord has serious gaps in age verification and user-protection systems despite earlier negotiations.
The government is seeking stronger parental controls, closer cooperation with authorities, and tools to detect dangerous content.
Discord called the lawsuit disproportionate, expressed regret, and said it wants to work with Brazilian authorities on a safety solution.
- Who
- The Brazilian government, through the Solicitor-General’s Office and the National Data Protection Agency, is suing Discord.
- What
- Brazil seeks R$500 million, approximately $97 million, and stronger child-safety measures from Discord.
- Where
- The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Brasília, Brazil, and concerns Discord’s operations in the country.
- When
- The lawsuit was filed Tuesday and announced Wednesday; the girl’s death occurred in July, and Discord suspended livestreaming in Brazil on August 17.
- Why
- Brazil alleges that Discord’s age-verification and user-protection systems failed to protect children from harmful content and serious risks.
Brazilian Authorities
Discord
Platform safety
Brazilian Authorities
Brazil says Discord has severe gaps in age verification and user protections that expose children and other vulnerable groups to serious risks.
Discord
Discord says the lawsuit does not accurately reflect its approach to safety or compliance with Brazilian law.
Need for legal action
Brazilian Authorities
Brazil says negotiations failed because Discord’s proposals were insufficient to eliminate the identified risks.
Discord
Discord called the legal action disproportionate and said it had maintained dialogue with authorities consistently and in good faith.
Future safeguards
Brazilian Authorities
Brazil wants stronger parental controls, closer cooperation with law enforcement, and automated systems to detect and remove dangerous content.
Discord
Discord says it remains committed to strengthening safety while allowing Brazilians to continue using the platform.
Key facts
- Damages sought
- R$500 million, or approximately $97 million, for collective moral damages.
- Platform
- Discord, a messaging and online communications platform with more than 90 million active daily users.
- Reported incident
- A 13-year-old girl was allegedly encouraged to kill herself during a livestream in July.
- Livestream restriction
- Discord suspended livestreaming in Brazil on August 17 after government action.
- Brazilian demands
- Stricter parental controls, closer cooperation with authorities, and automated tools to detect and prevent dangerous content.
- Arrests
- Five teenagers were arrested in connection with the girl’s death; one article also reports that an adult was arrested.
- Broader enforcement
- Brazil’s National Data Protection Agency recently fined TikTok nearly $30 million and began checking 22 social media networks and platforms for compliance with a child-protection law.
Quotes
Lorena Giuberti Coutinho
Director of Brazil’s National Data Protection Agency
“We believe there is a better way and remain committed to working with the relevant authorities to reach a solution that strengthens safety on the platform while allowing Brazilians to continue using Discord.”
firstpost.com
“The lawsuit seeks to compel the Discord platform to adopt effective measures to protect children, adolescents, and women in the digital environment.”
firstpost.com
Sources
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