Brazil’s data protection authority has directed the messaging platform Discord to stop livestreaming services within the country. This follows the suicide of a teenager last month, who was reportedly encouraged by others in a Discord group to take her own life.
An inquiry by the National Data Protection Authority revealed that the incident occurred during a 45-minute livestream in July, involving a girl from a small town in central-western Brazil.
Police have detained five teenagers linked to the case, which they called a real-life horror show. Their actions also prevented another girl from attempting suicide online.
The authority found that livestreams have often enabled violence, harassment, and encouragement of self-harm. It determined that Discord did not take sufficient steps to shield young users from harmful material.
The platform lacks real-time monitoring of livestreams, hindering automatic detection of violations. Discord expressed disappointment with the ruling but is reviewing it and has removed the involved group while assisting authorities.
The suspension will continue until Discord demonstrates proper safeguards for minors, such as age verification. A justice ministry official criticized the platform’s moderation failures, noting the disturbing nature of the broadcasts.
This issue affects other platforms like Twitch, Facebook, Instagram, and X, which face global scrutiny for inadequate responses to live self-harm and violence content.
