National Data Protection Agency investigates Discord platform

According to the order that initiated the procedure, the investigation is motivated by news of a case of self-mutilation and suicide of a 13-year-old teenager, on July 22. The episode was broadcast live on the platform.

The process will analyze whether Discord failed to comply with duties set out in the Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents (ECA Digital), in particular whether the platform failed to adopt measures to prevent and mitigate the risk of exposure of minors to content about self-mutilation and suicide.

Other points of attention are the lack of mechanisms for verifying age and failure to remove irregular content and communicate it to authorities, obligations set out in the ECA Digital.

“Discord will have five working days to present information on existing mechanisms to prevent and combat serious violations against children and adolescents”, informed the ANPD, in a note. The agency warned that legislation provides for a fine of up to R$50 million for the violations investigated.

Also on Friday (7), members of the Attorney General's Office (AGU) met with representatives from Discord to address intensified failures in age verification and protection of children and adolescents who use the platform.

Earlier, the Union's attorney general, Jorge Messias, said that the body should take action asking for the platform to be removed from the air.

The case of the induced suicide of the 13-year-old girl is investigated within the scope of Operation Lívia, conducted by the Civil Police of Mato Grosso do Sul and carried out with the technical support of the Cyber Operations Laboratory (Ciberlab) of the National Public Security Secretariat (Senasp/MJSP).