Brazil suspends Discord live streams after teen's death

Discord has suspended its live streaming and video call services in Brazil in response to a government order, following the tragic death of a 13-year-old who was allegedly pressured to commit suicide during a broadcast on the platform. The company stated it is cooperating with Brazil's National Data Protection Authority (ANPD).

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We are complying with the order and are cooperating in good faith with the ANPD. As a result, Brazilian users will no longer be able to use screen sharing and video calls.

The ANPD mandated the suspension, citing evidence that live streams on Discord have been repeatedly used to incite violence, bullying, self-harm, and suicide. The authority argued that Discord failed to implement adequate safety measures to protect children. The order came after a 13-year-old in Mato Grosso do Sul died last month under circumstances that authorities described as a "real-life horror show."

Brazilian authorities have arrested five teenagers and one adult in connection with the case. Investigators allege that the arrested youths pressured the victim to kill animals and then to commit suicide when they did not comply. One of the arrested teenagers is reportedly only 14 years old.

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There is strong evidence that the company has not taken reasonable protective measures.

This incident has amplified concerns about child safety on online platforms. Safernet Brazil, a non-profit organization protecting online human rights, reported a 54% increase in Discord-related complaints in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period last year. The organization's director stated that the 13-year-old's death is not an isolated event but a tragic outcome of patterns they have documented for years.

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This is not an isolated incident, but a tragic result of the patterns we have been documenting and denouncing for years.

The situation has led to strong reactions from Brazilian officials, including the First Lady, Rosângela da Silva, who called for Discord's services to be shut down and urged the judiciary to remove the platform from the internet. Discord's co-founder, Stanislav Vishnevskiy, countered that the platform is not solely responsible, stating that "organized, sadistic behavior happened across multiple platforms." He emphasized Discord's efforts to make the platform safer for young users.

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The judiciary must remove this terrible network from the internet.