Brazil sues Discord for ₹500 crore over child safety failures

Brazil's federal government has taken legal action against Discord, the popular communication platform for gamers, filing a lawsuit in a federal court on Wednesday. The government is seeking damages of 500 million reais (approximately $97 million) for what it describes as the company's failure to adequately protect children online.

The lawsuit follows a July incident in which a teenager died by suicide, an event that has been linked to the platform. In response, Brazilian authorities had earlier this month requested that Discord suspend its live broadcast features in connection with the case.

In its 25-page filing, the Solicitor-General's office for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva alleges that Discord has severe gaps in its age-verification systems and user safety protections. The office claims the company has committed "direct violations to a number of obligations and protective norms of Brazilian law, regarding the special protections and safety of vulnerable groups, including children and teenagers."

The government is asking the court to order Discord to immediately strengthen parental controls, expand cooperation with local law enforcement, and deploy automated tools to detect and remove dangerous content. The damages sought are attributed to alleged collective psychological harm the platform has allowed.

Discord has responded, calling the government's move "disproportionate" and stating that it "does not accurately reflect Discord's approach to safety and compliance with Brazilian law."

The filing also notes that Discord faces similar legal pressure in other jurisdictions, including active lawsuits in U.S. states such as Texas, Nevada, and New Jersey.

This legal action comes as Brazil, along with countries like Australia, Canada, and Indonesia, attempts to regulate internet use by minors. President Lula, who is seeking reelection in October, and Brazil's Supreme Court have been working on such regulations with mixed results so far.

Brazil's first lady, Rosângela Lula da Silva, known as Janja, had called for the platform to be taken offline on August 6, citing the suicide case. According to Brazil's justice ministry, five teenagers have been arrested in connection with the death.

Discord reports having more than 90 million active daily users worldwide.