New Jersey sues Discord, a popular chat app, claiming it is 'not safe for children' [View all]
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
Published April 17, 2025, 11:57 a.m. ET
New Jersey is cracking down on the popular chat app Discord after a string of incidents involving children across the state. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced a lawsuit against Discord on Thursday, claiming the platform has misrepresented its safety protection and leaves minors vulnerable to “harassment, abuse and sexual exploitation by predators.”
“Discord holds itself out to be a company that cares about safety,” Platkin said. “But for years, it has been deceiving young users and parents about the design and effectiveness of its app’s safety features.” The complaint, filed in the Chancery Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey, claims Discord knew its safety features did not protect minors from being exposed to inappropriate sexual content or online predators, but refused to make changes to protect young people.
In one example, Platkin cited the platform’s “Safe Direct Messaging” feature, which Discord added in 2023 to automatically scan for and block messages that contained explicit content. “The truth is, Discord’s app was not capable of doing that, and the company knew it,” Platkin said. “Turns out the safe direct messaging wasn’t safe at all.”
Platkin also said Discord claims to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing the platform but “barely enforces its own rule.” “All a child has to do to access the app is just say they’re 13,” Platkin said. “Discord will take any 8-year-old’s word for it … potentially exposing a second grader to all kinds of explicit and horrific material.” A Discord spokesperson said the company was “surprised” by New Jersey’s announcement “given our engagement with the Attorney General’s office” and plans to dispute the claims in court.
Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/news/new-jersey/discord-new-jersey-lawsuit-20250417.html
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