# Brazil Halts Discord Livestreaming Over Child Safety Concerns Brazil's **National Data Protection Authority (ANPD)** has ordered **Discord** to suspend its Go Live livestreaming feature across the country. The directive, issued Wednesday, will remain in effect until **Discord** can demonstrate robust safeguards to protect children and teenagers from harmful content. ## The Catalyst for Action This decisive action stems from an ongoing investigation into the death of a 13-year-old girl in central-western Brazil. Authorities allege she was encouraged to self-harm during a 45-minute livestream on **Discord** in July. Five teenagers have since been arrested in connection with the case, and police intervened in a separate incident involving another minor preparing for suicide during an online broadcast. The broader investigation has also uncovered online communities, including those on **Telegram**, allegedly used by teenagers to disseminate neo-Nazi, antisemitic, and misogynistic material, recruit members, and plan violent acts. **Victor Fernandes**, Brazil’s national secretary for digital rights, stated that both **Discord** and **Telegram** had violated regulations designed to protect women and children online. He highlighted that a suicide was livestreamed on **Discord** in an environment involving teenagers, and the content remained accessible for a significant period before removal. ## 'Robust Evidence' of Safety Failures According to the **ANPD**, there is “robust evidence” that **Discord** has not taken reasonable steps to shield minors from content promoting or facilitating violence, self-harm, or suicide. The regulator clarified that the ban applies solely to the Go Live feature, not the entire **Discord** platform. A key concern raised by the **ANPD** is **Discord**'s technical architecture, which makes it challenging to prevent abuse during livestreams. The company's inability to access video content in real-time limits its capacity for automatic detection of harmful material, making it heavily reliant on automated systems and user reports on individual servers. Brazilian authorities also criticized **Discord**'s decision to introduce end-to-end encryption for Go Live in March, arguing that this further hampered the company's ability to detect harmful activity as it occurred. The **ANPD** concluded that **Discord**'s existing safeguards were either reactive or insufficient in preventing harm. **Discord** has been given three business days to confirm the full implementation of the suspension across Brazil. In a statement to Brazilian news outlet UOL, **Discord** acknowledged the order, calling the decision “premature” and asserting that the regulator’s description of its safety practices “does not reflect the platform nor the investments made in user security.” ## Broader Regulatory Scrutiny The **ANPD**'s investigation extends beyond livestreaming, examining **Discord**'s age-verification systems and its compliance with content removal and violation reporting obligations. Further requirements may be imposed as the investigation progresses. Should violations be confirmed, **Discord** could face substantial fines, potentially up to 50 million Brazilian reais (approximately $10 million USD) per violation. This Brazilian action aligns with increasing global scrutiny of **Discord**'s ability to protect younger users. An analysis by Brazilian digital rights organization **SaferNet** of **Discord**'s disclosures to the European Union revealed that child and adolescent protection issues historically constitute a significant portion of the company’s moderation decisions in Europe. **SaferNet Brasil** also reported a considerable increase in incidents involving **Discord** since 2024, with 406 reports in the first seven months alone. **Discord**, popular among gamers and requiring users to be at least 13 years old, boasts over 90 million global users. The platform has previously faced restrictions in other countries, including Russia and Turkey in 2024, where authorities cited failures in policing illegal material, including extremist activity, child abuse, and harassment.