Brazil has ordered Discord to suspend its “Go Live” livestreaming feature and similar video-sharing tools across the country after authorities linked a 13-year-old girl’s suicide to a livestream in which she was encouraged to harm herself.
The National Data Protection Authority, known as ANPD, gave Discord three business days to comply. Discord itself will not be blocked, but the features will remain unavailable until the company demonstrates that it has introduced adequate safeguards for minors.
What the Brazilian regulator found
The ANPD said it found “robust evidence” that Discord had failed to take reasonable steps to prevent minors from being exposed to content promoting violence, self-harm and suicide. The agency said its concerns extend beyond the individual case because Discord livestreams have repeatedly been linked to serious crimes and risks to children’s physical and mental safety.
According to the regulator, Discord cannot access livestream video while it is happening, limiting its ability to automatically detect violations in real time. The agency said the platform instead relies on automated systems it considers flawed and on reports from users. Discord said it was cooperating with authorities investigating the case.
The investigation after the girl’s death
The girl died in central-western Brazil last month after a 45-minute Discord livestream during which authorities say she was encouraged to harm herself and ultimately take her own life. Police have arrested five teenagers in connection with her death.
Police said the investigation also identified another girl who was about to attempt suicide live online and that the operation saved her. Alessandro Barreto, coordinator of the Justice Ministry’s Ciberlab intelligence unit, described the case as a serious failure of moderation and said the abuse was broadcast live.
What happens to Discord next
The suspension is conditional rather than a nationwide block on Discord. The livestreaming tools can return only after the company shows the ANPD that protections for minors are adequate.
The order follows calls for Discord to be removed from Brazil after the girl’s death, including from Rosangela da Silva, the wife of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Brazil has previously taken enforcement action against major technology companies, including blocking X for 40 days in 2024 until it complied with Supreme Court orders to remove accounts accused of spreading disinformation.
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