Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority issued an order requiring Discord to suspend its “Go Live” livestreaming feature and similar video-sharing tools within three business days. The regulator determined the platform had failed to implement adequate safeguards for minors and found evidence that Discord did not take reasonable measures to prevent children and teenagers from encountering content promoting violence, self-harm, and suicide.
The action follows the death of a 13-year-old girl in central-western Brazil last month. During a 45-minute livestream on Discord, she was encouraged to harm herself and ultimately took her own life. Five teenagers were arrested in connection with the incident. Brazilian authorities also reported discovering another girl who was at risk of attempting suicide online, but a police operation prevented that outcome. Officials described the case as representing a significant breakdown in the platform’s content moderation systems.
Brazilian Justice Ministry officials characterized the incident as demonstrating a troubling trend of minors encouraging other minors to engage in harmful behavior online. They noted that the 13-year-old was first prompted to harm an animal during the livestream and subsequently urged to take her own life. The case prompted calls from high-ranking Brazilian officials, including the wife of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, to shut down Discord entirely.
The ANPD identified structural limitations in Discord’s livestreaming system as a core concern. The regulator noted that Discord cannot access video stream content in real time, preventing automatic detection of policy violations. Instead, the platform relies on automated moderation systems that the agency characterized as inadequate, along with user reports. The authority emphasized that Discord’s livestreams have been repeatedly connected to serious crimes affecting minors’ physical and mental safety.
Discord stated it was cooperating with authorities investigating the case. Brazil’s enforcement action represents an escalation in the country’s regulatory approach toward major technology platforms, following previous actions including a multi-week blockade of X in 2024.
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