Brazil orders Discord to suspend livestreaming features following teen’s death
The National Data Protection Authority has given the platform three business days to disable its video-sharing tools, accusing the company of relying on flawed automated systems that cannot analyse streams in real time.
Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) has ordered social media platform Discord to suspend its livestreaming features within three business days, following the suicide of a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly encouraged to harm herself during a broadcast. The regulator stated it had found robust evidence that the platform failed to take reasonable steps to prevent minors from being exposed to content promoting violence, self-harm, and suicide.
The order targets the “Go Live” function and similar video-sharing tools, though the broader application will remain accessible until the company demonstrates adequate safeguards for minors. The ANPD noted that Discord’s systems cannot analyse video streams in real time, relying instead on automated mechanisms described as flawed and user reports. This technical limitation was central to the regulator’s finding that the platform repeatedly failed to protect the physical and mental safety of young users.
The directive follows the death of the teenager in central-western Brazil, where authorities allege she was coerced into harming herself over a 45-minute broadcast. Five teenagers have been arrested in connection with the incident. Police reported that an operation during the investigation also saved another girl who was about to commit suicide live on the internet. Alessandro Barreto, coordinator of the Justice Ministry’s Ciberlab unit, described the case as a terrible failure in moderation, noting that minors were grooming other minors to commit barbaric acts.
Political pressure has intensified following the incident. Rosangela da Silva, wife of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has called for the platform to be shut down entirely. The ANPD’s decision marks the latest instance of Brazil enforcing a tough stance on technology giants, echoing a 2024 move where the country blocked X for 40 days until the company complied with Supreme Court orders regarding disinformation.
The regulatory crackdown has drawn sharp criticism from United States President Donald Trump, who accused Brazil of targeting American social media companies. Trump cited the incident as one of the reasons for imposing tariffs on Brazilian goods, framing the dispute as a conflict over the treatment of US-based tech firms by the Brazilian judiciary and regulators.
