O Discordan online application widely used by young people and video game players, has been the subject of controversy in recent days.
A report on the program “Fantástico” exposed cases of Brazilian users who raped and humiliated underage girls in live broadcasts on the platform.
Discord has faced a huge wave of complaints
Image: CNBC/Reproduction
Furthermore, the Discord has faced a series of complaints related to groups that promote abhorrent content, such as sexual exploitation, pedophilia, self-harm, racism, animal abuse and incitement to murder, as well as the leaking of confidential information.
While Discord has said it works to combat this type of content, experts point out that the platform has become a breeding ground for sexual crimes and violence, comparing it to a lighter version of the controversial anonymous forum 4chan, known for sharing conspiracy theories far right.
As of late 2021, Discord had more than 150 million monthly active users and was valued at $14.7 billion, according to market data provider PitchBook.
But, after all, what is Discord?
Launched in 2015, Discord is a social communication and messaging platform that has gained popularity among young people and gamers. video games.
O application It allows text, voice and video conversations and works through servers and channels, where users can participate in specific communities with common interests.
The popularity of the application
Fabio Assolini, Director of the Global Research and Analysis Team at Kasperskytalks about Discord:
“The platform started to become quite niche with gamers, attracting a large teenage audience; then many YouTubers and content creators started using Discord servers to strengthen their relationship with their community.
It is a very good application for organizing information, where you can automate many of the functions using Bots, higher file sharing limits, being a very versatile platform.”
Despite offering a variety of features and ease of use, Discord has been linked to exploitation and violence, mainly due to a lack of effective moderation of posted content.
Although Discord’s minimum age requirement is 13 in most countries, including Brazil, this is not enough. It is worrying that minors are present in groups that mix adult users, allowing access to inappropriate content.
In front of the complaints In recent years, Discord has faced investigations by the state Public Prosecutors’ Offices of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, in addition to the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is investigating cases of child pornography.
Although the company claims to collaborate with authorities in situations of immediate danger or self-harm, criticism has been directed at the lack of cooperation in investigations and the failure to store some of the content, such as live video calls.
To ensure safe use of Discord, experts recommend using antivirus and softwares parental control in order to protect users from malware and limit access to inappropriate content.
The future of Discord in Brazil is uncertain
The future of Discord remains uncertain amid ongoing investigations and pressure for more effective moderation.
Although the bill of fake news currently does not include Discord, which has around 3 million active users in Brazil, it is possible that there will be changes to the text to include the platform.
Discord is currently owned by a privately held company led by founders Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy, which makes money through the sale of premium features within the app and investments from funds specializing in technology.
Given the challenges faced by Discord, a joint effort between the platform, authorities and users is needed to ensure the safety and integrity of the online community, especially with regard to protecting minors from abuse and cybercrimes.
