Brazil's ANPD suspends Discord live streaming over child safety concerns

Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) has ordered the suspension of live streaming and video sharing on the Discord platform. The decision follows the death of a 13-year-old girl in Mato Grosso do Sul, who was reportedly induced to self-harm and commit suicide by other adolescents on the app.

The ANPD’s technical note highlights concerns regarding Discord’s recent global implementation of end-to-end encryption for video and voice calls. While the company states this feature enhances user privacy by preventing unauthorized interception, the ANPD argues it reduces the security and auditability of live broadcasts. This move is seen as potentially conflicting with the Digital Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA Digital), which requires providers to implement secure, auditable measures to protect minors, such as age verification and parental supervision.

The agency has opened an investigation to examine failures in the platform’s ability to combat content related to self-harm and suicide. Discord, which has over 200 million monthly active users globally, maintains Brazil as its second-largest market.