Discord has suspended livestreaming and video-call features in Brazil after the ANPD ordered the move following allegations that a 13-year-old was pressured into suicide during a broadcast. Five teens and one adult have been arrested; officials say the abuse unfolded over about 45 minutes. Discord says it removed the implicated group, disputes the regulator’s characterization, and is working to restore video features while improving safety measures. Audio calls and direct messages remain available for Brazilian users.
Discord Suspends Livestreams and Video Calls in Brazil After Teen Allegedly Pressured Into Suicide
Brazil's National Data Protection Agency (ANPD) has ordered the US-based tech company to suspend livestreams on August 12 (MAURO PIMENTEL)
Popular messaging platform Discord said it has complied with an order from Brazil’s National Data Protection Agency (ANPD) to suspend livestreaming features and video calls in the country after authorities said a 13-year-old girl was allegedly encouraged to take her own life during an online broadcast.
The ANPD issued the order on August 12, citing what it called “robust evidence” that livestreams on the platform had been used to facilitate violence, harassment and the incitement of self-harm, and it set a deadline for Discord to take the steps or face penalties.
Discord co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy said the company is complying and working with the regulator in good faith. In a blog post he wrote that screen sharing and video calls are unavailable to Brazilian users for now while the company addresses the agency’s concerns.
“We’re complying with the order and working with the ANPD in good faith, which means that screen sharing and video calls will be unavailable for Brazilian users starting now,” Vishnevskiy wrote.
Authorities say five teenagers and one adult have been arrested in connection with the death of the 13-year-old in a small town in western-central Brazil. Officials from the Justice Ministry’s Ciberlab intelligence unit said the alleged harassment unfolded over roughly 45 minutes and included repeated attempts to coerce the victim into harming herself; one of the suspects is 14 years old.
Discord has said it removed the invitation-only group linked to the case and disputed the ANPD’s characterization of the platform, arguing the abusive behavior was part of a “coordinated sadistic harm campaign” that took place across multiple services.
While livestreaming and video-calling features are paused for Brazilian accounts, users can still access audio calls, direct messages and other non-video tools on Discord. The company said it is working to restore video features as quickly as possible and to improve safety measures for teens.
Wider Context
Brazil has recently tightened online protections for minors, requiring platforms to link accounts of users under 16 to a parent or guardian and to verify ages. The country’s Supreme Court has also taken a more active role in policing online content and disinformation. Rosangela da Silva, the wife of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, urged authorities to remove the platform from the internet in response to the case.
The incident has prompted outrage in Brazil and intensified scrutiny of how platforms monitor and moderate livestreamed content. Discord reports more than 90 million daily active users worldwide.
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