New Jersey's Attorney General filed a lawsuit against messaging platform Discord, accusing the company of deceptive and irresponsible business practices that expose children to violent and sexual content, as well as online predators. The investigation found that Discord allegedly misled parents about the effectiveness of its safety controls, offering reassurances that did not reflect how the app actually worked. Among the key allegations is the failure to control direct messages, which — despite the company's promises — reportedly failed to detect or remove all explicit content received by underage users.
The lawsuit details app features and default settings that allegedly facilitated unchecked interactions between users, including children, making them vulnerable to contact with strangers and exposure to inappropriate material. According to the filing, Discord also encouraged the creation and customization of communities centered around games popular with children, which significantly expanded its young user base. The report further notes that the platform allowed any user to send friend requests and direct messages, often without adequate content moderation or filtering.
Another key issue concerns the minimum age policy. Although the platform's rules require users to be at least 13 years old, age verification is limited to entering a date of birth, with no additional proof required. This approach allegedly allowed children under 13 to use the app, in violation of Discord's own terms of service and at increased risk of exposure to predators.
The lawsuit demands that Discord cease the practices deemed unlawful, pay civil penalties, and return profits obtained in New Jersey through these actions. The case is part of a series of lawsuits filed by the State Attorney General's office against digital platforms over practices that put children and teenagers at risk.
This post was translated and summarized from its original version using ChatGPT version 4o, with human review.