State officials have sued Discord, a popular messaging app, alleging it leaves children vulnerable to online predators.
A suit filed by the office of State Attorney General Matt Platkin alleges Discord misled users about it safety features, particularly its direct messaging function.
“Discord markets itself as a safe space for children, despite being fully aware that the application’s misleading safety settings and lax oversight has made it a prime hunting ground for online predators seeking easy access to children,” Platkin said in a statement. “These deceptive claims regarding its safety settings have allowed Discord to attract a growing number of children to use its application, where they are at risk.”
Discord said it would fight the state’s lawsuit.
“Discord is proud of our continuous efforts and investments in features and tools that help make Discord safer. Given our engagement with the Attorney General’s office, we are surprised by the announcement that New Jersey has filed an action against Discord today,” the company said in a statement. “We dispute the claims in the lawsuit and look forward to defending the action in court.”
The state’s complaint says Discord’s default settings allow users to receive friend requests from anyone on the app—and to receive private direct messages from friends and anyone using the same server.
Discord also claimed it would scan and remove messages containing explicit material, according to the suit.
“But this was not true. Despite its claims, Discord knew that not all explicit content was being detected or deleted,” state officials said.
If users select the “My friends are nice” direct messaging option, children can accept friend requests from users they do not know and with whom they have no connection.
Officials said there have been countless instances in which child sex abuse material was sent using Discord.
The suit demands that Discord surrender profits it made in New Jersey and that it be hit with civil penalties.
Discord couldn’t immediately be reached.
In February, a family from New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against Roblox and Discord, alleging the platforms’ lack of safeguards allowed a predator to sexually exploit and abuse their son and possibly dozens of other children.
The lawsuit was filed about five months after a 13-year-old boy from Burlington County was coerced into sending nude images to a man in Somerset County, according to police.
A Toms River man is accused of communicating over social media platforms, including Discord, with a 14-year-old who he had previously sexually assaulted in Norway, authorities said.
During those conversations with the victim and others, the man, Jacob Bauer, acknowledged the girl’s age, federal prosecutors said.
After two members of an online Discord community learned what Bauer did, they posted private conversations they had with him publicly on the instant messaging social platform, investigators said.
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at [email protected].
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