Discord: what is the social network that will have lives suspended in Brazil after ANPD decision

The National Data Protection Agency (ANPD) determined this Wednesday (12) that Discord suspend live broadcasts on the platform in Brazil. The preventive measure gives the company three working days to comply with the decision, which will be maintained until effective measures to protect children and adolescents are proven. But, after all, what is Discord? Discord is a digital communication platform that allows users to chat through text, voice, and video messages. In Brazil, the social network says it only allows access for teenagers aged 13 and over. The application is mainly used by teenagers who want to play and chat at the same time, and was even developed for this purpose. Discord Discord is a messaging platform popular among young people and video game players — Photo: Ivan Radic/Flickr According to Discord's official website, entrepreneurs Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy created the platform in 2015 in search of a “reliable way to chat while playing online”. Through live video broadcasts, users watch, participate in games and make comments. "Discord is a multimedia experience. You can use it to stream videos, play board games remotely, listen to music in a group and simply spend time together", describes the North American technology magazine Wired. It is worth noting that, despite being widespread among teenagers, Discord is also used to work and take courses, for example. According to Wired, the platform gained even more users during the pandemic, when it managed to reach groups beyond gamers. In 2025, Discord had 200 million monthly users globally, 93% of whom play online, according to the app itself. Is Discord paid? The basic version of Discord is free, but the platform offers paid plans, called “Nitro”. They include perks like creating custom emojis and sending larger files. Used to commit crimes against minors Attackers have taken advantage of the platform's live video broadcasts to, for example, blackmail victims into completing challenges under the threat of having intimate photos leaked, as reported by Fantástico showed in May 2023. "It is important that it is very clear that these are not challenges that are being practiced by teenagers. These are criminals, the vast majority of whom are older, who use the insecurity of this platform in relation to children and teenagers to commit very serious crimes against them. girls”, says prosecutor Maria Fernanda Balsalobra in a report for Fantástico in the same year. The platform has become a meeting point for propagators of counterculture narratives, such as the incel (involuntary celibate) movement, hacker groups and cryptocurrency investors, according to the DW agency. Thiago Ayub, technology director at Sage Networks, explains that Discord is a suitable environment for this type of situation due to a combination of factors: it was created for the gamer audience, which is why it is well known among young people; allows you to easily form private groups, unlike social networks that prioritize public content; moderation is decentralized. It is the community creators who do most of the moderation of users and messages in each community, making control difficult. 'Family Center' In September 2023, the application launched the "Family Center" tool (or "Family Center", in English), which allows guardians to be informed about part of their children's activities on the platform. The tool allows guardians to know which users their teenager is chatting with and which Discord communities they participate in. However, they cannot see the content of these conversations. The company recommends that the activation of the Family Center be done together with the teenager, as the account activity will not be shared without their approval. See the step by step: To activate the tool, you must have the Discord app on your cell phone. In the app, you will access the "Family Center" option, which can be found in "User Settings". Then click "activate Family Center". At this stage, your teenager will need to provide you with the QR code that will be generated in their app. It is available in the "Family Center" tab, under the "Connect with father" option. You must scan the code provided by your child with your Discord app. Once your teen accepts the connection, you will both have full access to Family Central. Lawless network: on Discord, criminals rape and humiliate underage girls Virtual rape: abusers use fake photos to blackmail victims