Brazil’s federal government has initiated legal proceedings against Discord, Inc., accusing the messaging platform of failing to comply with national child protection laws. The lawsuit, filed by the Advocacia-Geral da União (AGU), claims substantial violations under the ECA Digital law, enacted in 2025, which is designed to protect children in the digital sphere through enhanced age verification, parental controls, and content moderation requirements.
The allegations, as detailed in the JURIST article, include ten separate infractions, highlighting issues with Discord’s age verification processes, parental monitoring systems, and content moderation practices. The AGU is seeking damages amounting to R$500 million (approximately $97 million). This legal action coincides with Discord’s ongoing suspension in Brazil, enforced by the Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados (ANPD), emphasizing the seriousness of the safety concerns.
The ECA Digital law, a significant update to Brazil’s 1990 Statute of the Child and Adolescent, mandates digital platforms to integrate stringent safety and privacy measures by default. The law empowers the ANPD to levy fines of R$50 million ($9.7 million) for each violation, underlining the company’s potential financial exposure and regulatory pressure in Brazil.
Amidst escalating global scrutiny on digital platforms for youth safety, Brazil’s vigorous legal stance is not isolated. In July, the European Commission took similar measures against TikTok for failing to comply with the Digital Services Act’s child-safety requirements. Furthermore, earlier this month, a U.S. federal case sought up to $1.4 trillion in penalties against Meta for analogous alleged violations.
AGU Minister Jorge Messias expressed the government’s intolerant stance towards platforms that inadequately protect vulnerable users, saying, “This platform has allowed illegal conduct to take place, based on what we call insufficient protection for women, children, adolescents… We will act to curb this type of unacceptable conduct throughout the national territory.” The case represents a significant moment in Brazil’s digital policy enforcement, setting a precedent with potential ramifications for other tech entities operating within its jurisdiction.