Discord Inc., an online chat and social media platform known for its rapid growth and subsequent controversy, has expanded its legal team with the recruitment of veteran technology industry lawyer Hilary Ware.
Ware’s appointment comes amidst a turbulent time for Discord as the company confirmed plans to lay off 17% of its workforce in a move reflecting broader job cuts across the technology industry. Ware, known for her roles at prominent technology firms Netflix Inc. and Google, takes on a critical legal role at Discord starting this month. She will be responsible globally for overseeing litigation, regulatory compliance, and privacy and data security matters.
Ware enjoyed an extensive legal career at Netflix, overseeing litigation, regulatory affairs, data security, and labor and employment matters among other responsibilities. The news of her move to Discord as deputy general counsel was revealed on Ware’s own LinkedIn and subsequently confirmed by Discord.
Challenges await Ware at Discord. Last year, leaked U.S. government documents concerning national security affairs were found across various social media platforms, including Discord. In response, Discord hired its first federal lobbyists, engaging Monument Advocacy for $180,000 to advise on issues related to privacy and content moderation. These issues have often proved problematic for Discord’s competitors in the social media sector as well.
Beyond these challenges, Discord is innovating in various business lines, such as live events, and deploying artificial intelligence for content moderation. Their efforts are supported under the leadership of co-founder and CEO, Jason Citron, who remains committed to working with government officials on the leaks investigation while also ensuring harmful content is policed effectively.
As legal professionals, we’ll watch closely at how Discord’s legal team navigates these current challenges in light of their ambitious growth agenda.