Florida sues Discord, saying the chat app fails to protect children
Florida's attorney general, James Uthmeier, sued Discord on Thursday, saying the chat app fails to protect kids from sexual predators, Courthouse News and the News Service of Florida reported. The suit faults the app's age checks and safety settings. Discord said the suit does not reflect the platform it has built, Courthouse News reported.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued Discord on Thursday, accusing the online chat platform of failing to protect children from sexual predators, Courthouse News and the News Service of Florida reported. The 65-page complaint was filed in Glades County, Courthouse News reported.
The suit claims violations of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the state's online protection law, along with negligence, negligent misrepresentation and public nuisance, Courthouse News reported. It says Discord has weak age checks and lets adults contact minors, the outlet reported. The News Service of Florida reported that the suit lists eight cases from 2022 to 2026 in which an adult sexually exploited a minor through Discord, each involving a Florida perpetrator or victim.
Florida is asking the court to impose fines of up to $10,000 per violation of its deceptive trade practices law and $50,000 to $150,000 for each instance in which Discord failed to protect children online, the News Service of Florida reported. The state also wants the court to bar Discord from marketing itself as safe without real age verification, the News Service of Florida reported.
"Again and again, their trail to our kids leads back to Discord," Uthmeier said at a news conference in Tampa, Courthouse News reported. He said Discord had made "some positive changes, but not enough."
"The lawsuit's characterization of Discord does not reflect the platform we have built or the investments we have made in user safety," a Discord spokesperson said, according to Courthouse News. The spokesperson said Discord does not have algorithmic feeds, infinite scroll or public likes, and has worked with law enforcement in Florida.
Texas and Nevada have filed similar suits, Courthouse News reported. Uthmeier has also sued Snapchat, TikTok and Meta, and he went after Roblox last year, Courthouse News reported.
What we know: Florida has sued Discord over child safety, and Discord disputes the state's description of its app.
What we don't: When a judge will hear the case.
Where outlets agree Courthouse News and the News Service of Florida both report that Florida sued Discord on Thursday, accusing it of failing to protect children from predators.
Where they differ Courthouse News carried a Discord statement disputing the suit, while the News Service of Florida reported that Discord did not immediately respond to its request for comment.