Brazil orders Discord to suspend livestreaming over child safety concerns

Brazil's National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) has ordered the chat platform Discord to suspend its livestreaming features within three business days. The agency cited the platform's alleged failures in protecting children and teenagers from content promoting violence, self-harm, and suicide.

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Discord must prove compliance within three business days, and faces potential fines of up to 50 million reais ($9.67 million) per violation.

The ANPD stated that Discord must prove compliance with child safety measures within the specified timeframe. Failure to do so could result in fines of up to 50 million reais ($9.67 million) per violation. The platform has 10 business days to appeal the decision, with further recourse to the ANPD's board.

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The suspension is set to stay until Discord proves implementation of adequate protective measures for minors, the agency said in a statement.

The ANPD's investigation was prompted by an incident last Friday where investigators reported a 13-year-old girl was allegedly persuaded to take her own life by others in an online group. The agency found that Discord lacks real-time access to livestream content, hindering automated violation detection, and relies on insufficient user reports and flawed systems. The ANPD also noted that changes made to Discord's "Go Live" feature in early March, after Brazil's child digital protection statute was enacted, made it less protective.

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ANPD said it found Discord lacks real-time access to livestream content, which prevents automated violation detection, and the platform relies on flawed systems and user reports.