Brazil's data protection authority (ANPD) has ordered Discord to suspend its livestreaming feature after a teenage girl was allegedly pressured into taking her own life by others in a Discord server.

The messaging service, which allows users to create and join interest-based groups with real-time voice or video calls via its 'Go Live' feature, faced this unprecedented order following the death of a 13-year-old girl on August 7. The ANPD initiated an investigation into the incident, highlighting Discord’s lack of real-time access to livestream content as a contributing factor.

In response, Discord stated it was ‘thoughtfully reviewing’ the decision and committed to user safety, swiftly shutting down the private server involved and continuing to cooperate with law enforcement. However, evidence suggests that criminal activity was coordinated on other platforms prior to its creation and continued after those involved were banned from Discord, raising questions about the extent of platform responsibility.

The platform now faces potential fines of up to 50m reais ($9.67m) per violation and will remain suspended until it can prove adequate protective measures for minors are in place, possibly including age verification checks. This decision comes after X faced a similar ban in Brazil earlier this year.

Discord's banning is part of a broader conversation about the ethical responsibilities of tech giants, as virtual communities increasingly cross over into real-life tragedies.