Brazil sues Discord for $97 million over child safety violations following teenager's death

The lawsuit and safety demands

Brazil's federal government filed a public civil action against messaging platform Discord on 26 August 2026, demanding 500 million reais ($97 million) in compensation for collective moral damages. The lawsuit, submitted by the Solicitor General's Office (AGU) in the Federal District, accuses the company of failing to protect children, adolescents, and women from online harm. Government officials turned to the courts following the collapse of settlement negotiations over a formal conduct adjustment agreement. Solicitor General Jorge Messias explained the decision to proceed with legal action during a press briefing.

The company, initially, showed interest in making significant commitments to the Brazilian state, but, unfortunately, refused to sign the agreement at the last moment. Therefore, we had no other choice but to file a public civil action.

The 25-page filing demands that Discord implement stricter safety mechanisms under the threat of a daily fine of 500,000 reais. Among the required measures are verified age checks, default protective settings, and the mandatory linking of accounts belonging to users under 16 to their parents or legal guardians. The government also requires the platform to maintain a dedicated Portuguese-language moderation team sized to match its Brazilian user base, preserve moderation logs for at least six months, and establish a permanent, free reporting channel in Portuguese.

Investigation into livestreamed abuse

The legal action follows a police investigation codenamed Operation Livia, launched after a 13-year-old girl died by suicide during a 45-minute livestream in Mato Grosso do Sul on 22 July 2026. Investigators from the Justice Ministry's Ciberlab intelligence unit found that other participants on the call pressured the teenager to harm an animal before goading her into taking her own life. Evidence gathered during the inquiry revealed that the victim had engaged in self-harm during previous livestreams on the platform without automated detection or intervention.

Law enforcement authorities arrested five teenagers, including a 14-year-old, alongside one adult in connection with the incident. In the days following the event, First Lady Rosângela Lula da Silva called for the platform to be removed from the country. On 12 August 2026, Brazil's National Data Protection Agency (ANPD) ordered Discord to suspend livestreaming services nationwide, citing persistent risks to minors and gaps in user protections.

Regulatory pressure and corporate response

Discord, which operates globally with roughly 90 million daily active users, complied with the administrative suspension in Brazil on 17 August 2026. Co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy stated in a company blog post that Discord was working to enhance protections for younger users. In response to the lawsuit, Discord's Brazilian branch described the government's legal action as disproportionate, maintaining that the filing does not accurately reflect the platform's safety protocols and compliance efforts with local law. The company stated that it had submitted proposals to improve safety through technical modifications and financial investments.

The case against Discord forms part of a broader push by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Brazilian regulators to enforce digital safety rules. On 25 August 2026, the ANPD fined video platform TikTok nearly $30 million for separate child safety violations. Brazilian prosecutors maintain that platforms must deploy automated tools to detect self-harm, stop violent livestreams immediately, and report instances of sexual extortion to local law enforcement.