The Discord platform has temporarily suspended live streaming functionality in Brazil after authorities criticized the company for not adequately protecting children and teenagers. This decision was made after the incident with the 13-year-old girl. other users reportedly encouraged him to commit suicide during the live broadcast, reports CBS News.
The decision comes after Brazil's National Data Protection Authority requested the suspension of live broadcasts last week. Discord said the company is negotiating with authorities to find a solution that will allow users in the country to restore the feature.
"We remain committed to working with Brazilian government officials to make the online environment, both on Discord and in general, safer for all users," the company said.
According to Brazilian authorities, in July in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, a teenage girl was influenced by other users to commit suicide during a live broadcast. Five teenagers have been arrested in connection with his death.
Brazil's First Lady Rosangela Lula da Silva (known as Janja) called for a complete ban on Discord in the country on August 6. "I cannot tolerate a 13-year-old girl self-harming, hanging herself and dying on the Internet, live on Discord," he said.
Brazil's National Data Protection Authority has stated that live broadcasts on the platform have been repeatedly used to promote violence, bullying, as well as content promoting self-harm and suicide. In the department's assessment, Discord did not take sufficient measures to prevent children and teenagers from accessing similar content that poses a serious threat to their safety.
Meanwhile, Discord has denied the claim that the girl's death was broadcast live. The company said it had investigated the activity of a private server where users with links to criminal elements allegedly incited people to self-harm and shut it down before the girl's death.
According to SaferNet Brazil, an organization that protects human rights on the Internet, between January and July, the number of complaints about Discord in Brazil increased by 54% (compared to the same period last year). The president of the organization, Thiago Tavares, stated that the death of the 13-year-old girl "is not an isolated case", but the consequence of the problem that the organization has been reporting for several years.
However, representatives of the technology sector criticized the authorities' decision. According to Thiago Ayoub, director of technology at Sage Networks, blocking the feature could lead to criminal users of the platform simply moving to other services where it would be more difficult to monitor their activities.
The incident in Brazil has become part of a wider debate about the safety of children online. Earlier, the country adopted a law strengthening the protection of minors. Users under the age of 16 must link their social media accounts to the account of a legal representative, and digital platforms must implement effective age verification systems.
Other countries are taking similar measures. Australia became the first to ban children under 16 from using social media in December 2025. Great Britain announced plans to introduce similar restrictions. with Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposing to extend them to include live streaming features and children's contact with strangers.
On the same day, Philippine authorities reported another incident involving the broadcasting of violence on the Internet. According to authorities, a ninth-grader at a private Catholic school in Zamboanga City live-streamed an attack on a classmate, killed him, and then committed suicide.
Philippine Interior Minister Victor Remulya confirmed that the alleged attacker broadcast the incident on social media. His Facebook page was later blocked.
