The Brazilian government has filed a lawsuit against messaging platform Discord, seeking almost $100 million in damages over alleged failures to protect children from harmful content.
Brazil’s National Data Protection Agency, ANPD, said the legal action followed unsuccessful discussions with Discord, whose proposed measures were considered inadequate to address the risks identified by authorities.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in Brasilia, is seeking an order compelling Discord to introduce stronger protections for children, teenagers and women online. The government is also demanding R$500 million, equivalent to about $97 million, in compensation for collective moral damages.
Earlier this month, the ANPD ordered Discord to suspend livestreaming in Brazil after a 13-year-old girl was allegedly encouraged to take her own life during a livestream.
Discord agreed to halt livestreaming in the country on August 17 and said it was working to make the platform safer for teenagers.
However, Brazilian authorities said the platform still has weaknesses in its age-verification and user-protection systems, leaving users exposed to serious risks.
The girl died in July in a case that has led to the arrest of five teenagers and an adult in a town in central-western Brazil.
According to an official from the Justice Ministry’s Ciberlab intelligence unit, the teenagers allegedly spent more than 45 minutes encouraging the girl to kill an animal. After she failed to do so, they allegedly encouraged her to kill herself.
One of those arrested is reportedly 14 years old.
Brazil is demanding that Discord introduce stronger parental controls, improve cooperation with authorities and deploy systems capable of identifying and preventing activities that could endanger minors.
In a statement to AFP, Discord expressed regret over the lawsuit, saying it had engaged with Brazilian authorities consistently and in good faith.
The company said it believed there was a better way to resolve the dispute and remained committed to working with authorities to improve safety while allowing Brazilians to continue using the platform.
Brazil intensifies scrutiny of social media platforms
Brazil has increasingly adopted tougher measures against social media companies, including efforts to combat online disinformation and protect young users.
On Tuesday, the ANPD also fined TikTok nearly $30 million for failing to put adequate child-protection measures in place.
ANPD director Lorena Giuberti Coutinho said the agency had begun reviewing the compliance of 22 social media networks and platforms with a law passed this year to strengthen online protections for children and teenagers.
She warned that stronger enforcement actions could follow in the coming months.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has also been involved in disputes with major technology companies, particularly Elon Musk’s X, over online disinformation.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has faced accusations of censorship from sections of the Brazilian and American right, including criticism over his decision to block access to X in Brazil for 40 days in 2024.
