13-Year-Old Girl Coerced into Death During Live Stream on Social Media... Brazil Suspends Discord Video Features

Coerced a 13-Year-Old Girl to "Kill an Animal"
Forced Her to Take Her Own Life When She Could Not
Partial Suspension of Discord Features

In Brazil, authorities have imposed strict sanctions on Discord after a 13-year-old adolescent was reportedly coerced into taking her own life through online interactions.

Discord Halts Screen Sharing and Video Calls in Brazil

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According to international media including AFP on August 17 (local time), Discord suspended all real-time video features, including screen sharing and video calls, across Brazil in compliance with an emergency suspension order issued by the Brazilian National Data Protection Authority (ANPD). However, other services such as direct messaging (DM), voice channels, and voice calls remain available as usual.

Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord's co-founder, stated in a blog post on the same day, "We are complying with authorities' orders and are working in good faith with ANPD," adding, "From now, the screen sharing and video call features will be suspended for users in Brazil."

The Death of a 13-Year-Old Girl Sparked the Incident... 5 Teenagers and 1 Adult Arrested

This action was taken following the death of a 13-year-old girl in Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil. Five teenagers and one adult have been arrested in connection with the case. Local police described the incident as a "real-life horror show."

Police said the arrested teenagers coerced the girl for about 45 minutes to kill an animal, and when she failed to do so, they encouraged her to take her own life.

As a result, the ANPD determined that Discord had failed to implement even minimal safety measures for the protection of children and adolescents, and on August 12 issued a preventive order requiring the suspension of live streaming features within three business days.

However, Discord disputed the order, filing for an administrative review over legal authority concerns. Ultimately, in the face of mounting political pressure, the company complied with the authorities' demands. Vishnevskiy, the co-founder, emphasized that Discord was not the only platform involved in this incident, stating, "Systematic and sadistic acts of abuse were carried out across multiple platforms."

Political Circles Also Call for 'Discord Shutdown'

Despite Discord's objections, the incident has prompted an aggressive response from both the Brazilian government and political circle. Rosangela da Silva, wife of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called on the judiciary to enact a complete shutdown of Discord's service in the country.

Meanwhile, Brazil—the largest economy in Latin America—is increasingly tightening oversight of online platforms, including mandates that accounts of users under 16 be linked to their guardians. ANPD plans to review Discord's submitted explanations and relevant materials before deciding whether to impose additional sanctions.

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This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.