Brazil Files $97M Lawsuit Against Discord Over Child Safety Failures

The Brazilian government has filed a $97m lawsuit against the chat platform Discord, seeking millions of dollars in damages over alleged failures to protect children and teenage social media users.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, follows failed negotiations between the Brazilian government and the company. The complaint argues that Discord failed to abide by laws designed to protect young social media users.

"The lawsuit seeks to compel the Discord platform to adopt effective measures to protect children, adolescents, and women in the digital environment," the government said in a statement, calling for compensation for collective moral damages.

Discord pushed back against the legal action, stating that the lawsuit is excessively harsh and does not accurately depict its compliance with the country’s laws. The messaging platform hosts about 90 million active daily users.

In Brazil, scrutiny intensified in July following an incident in the western state of Mato Grosso do Sul. A 13-year-old girl died by suicide on a livestream after being goaded by a group of fellow teenagers, according to the Brazilian Justice Ministry. Four teenagers and one adult have been arrested in connection with the case.

Following the incident, Brazil’s National Data Protection Agency (ANPD) ordered Discord to suspend livestream services on August 12, and First Lady Rosangela Lula da Silva called for the site to be taken down. Discord stated it would stop streaming services and take steps to make the platform safer for teens, but the Brazilian government argued the company continues to exhibit flaws in its age verification and user protection mechanisms.