Brazil's National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) on Wednesday ordered Discord, the popular social media platform, to suspend its “Go Live” feature and similar video-sharing tools within three business days. According to a statement from the agency, Discord itself will not be blocked, but these features will not be available to users until the company demonstrates that it has established adequate safeguards for minors.
The ANPD said it found “strong evidence” that Discord failed to take reasonable steps to prevent minors from being exposed to content encouraging violence, self-harm, and suicide. The decision comes after the death of a 13-year-old girl in central-western Brazil last month. Authorities said that during a 45-minute live stream on Discord, the girl was encouraged to self-harm and ultimately take her own life.
Five teenagers have been arrested in connection with her death. Police said the investigation also led them to another girl who was “preparing to livestream her suicide,” but was rescued in time.
Alessandro Barreto, coordinator of the Ciberlab intelligence unit at Brazil's Ministry of Justice, described the incident as a “terrible moderation failure” by Discord. “We have witnessed truly outrageous acts being broadcast live,” he said. He noted that the 13-year-old was first encouraged to kill an animal, and when she couldn't, she was urged to take her own life, “all live-streamed.”
“Previously, we saw adults grooming minors. Now what do we see? Minors inducing other minors to commit savage acts,” Barreto said. “Girls are being enslaved online and forced to perform truly barbaric acts.”
Barreto also said a 14-year-old boy arrested in the case was “smiling as if he had just passed a level in a video game.” He added that the parents of most of the detained teenagers were completely taken by surprise.
Following the girl's death, Rosangela da Silva, wife of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called for Discord to be shut down and urged the judiciary to “remove this horrible network from the internet.” Discord says it has more than 90 million daily active users worldwide.
However, the ANPD said its concerns extend beyond this case. The agency argued that Discord's live streams have repeatedly been used in connection with serious crimes, endangering the physical and mental safety of minors. The ANPD also pointed to how Discord's streaming system works: the platform cannot access video content while it is being broadcast, meaning it cannot automatically analyze video and detect violations in real time. Instead, it relies on automated systems the ANPD described as “deficient” and on user reports.
Discord confirmed in a statement to AFP before the ANPD's decision that it was “cooperating with authorities in the investigation of this serious case.”
Brazil's action against Discord is the latest example of the country taking a tougher approach toward tech giants, particularly regarding their responsibility for what happens on their platforms. In 2024, Brazil blocked social network X for 40 days, until the company complied with a Supreme Court order to remove accounts accused of spreading misinformation. This crackdown drew anger from U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused Brazil of targeting American social media companies and cited it as one reason for imposing tariffs on Brazilian imports.
