Brazil sues chat platform Discord over failure to protect child users

What the report says

Brazil has filed a lawsuit against Discord seeking about $97 million in damages, according to Al Jazeera, after officials said talks with the company failed and that the platform did not adequately protect children and teenage users. The government’s complaint says Discord did not meet legal obligations intended to safeguard young people online and asks the court to require stronger protections for children, adolescents and women in digital spaces.

The case comes amid growing scrutiny of tech platforms in Brazil over online safety. Al Jazeera reported that Discord came under particular attention in July after a 13-year-old girl died by suicide during a livestream in the western state of Mato Grosso do Sul, following alleged pressure from other teenagers. Brazilian authorities said four teenagers and one adult were arrested in connection with that case. In response, the country’s data protection agency ordered Discord to suspend livestreaming services in August, and the company later said it would stop streaming and take steps to make the platform safer for teens.

Discord rejected the lawsuit’s characterization of its compliance efforts, saying the complaint is too severe. More broadly, the dispute reflects a wider push by Brazilian regulators to press social media companies on child safety and privacy. Al Jazeera noted that the country also recently fined TikTok for child data privacy violations, underscoring the tougher enforcement approach.