Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a civil lawsuit against the online chat platform Discord for allegedly misleading parents on its safety and failing to protect children from sexual predators while speaking at a press conference in Tampa this week.
Discord does not require age verification for its users, leaving open the possibility for adults to pose as children using simply an email address and a birthday,” Attorney General Uthmeier noted. “Its settings also allow users to send friend requests and messages to children, and it does not scan private chats for rule breakings – all while marketing itself as ‘all fun & games’ and telling parents ‘safety is at the core of everything we do.’”
Launched in 2015, Discord has over 200 million users, including 2.7 million U.S. users under 18 years old.
“We’ve arrested more than 2,100 child predators in this state since I took office,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “Again and again, their trail to our kids leads back to Discord. Discord told parents that safety is at the core of everything they do. That was false. It’s time for this app to get serious about protecting our children or face serious consequences.”
Per his complaint, Attorney General Uthmeier is alleging Discord engaged in “unfair, unconscionable, and deceptive acts or practices” by guaranteeing safety and failing to deliver under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
In addition, Uthmeier says Discord “processed the personal information of Florida children with actual knowledge or willful disregard” leading to harm or privacy risk. He also claims it breached its duty designing the platform and negligently misrepresented its platform as safe, while also creating a public nuisance by its conduct.
As consequence, Uthmeier is asking that the court permanently disbar Discord for allegedly “unfair, unconscionable, and deceptive practices” and impose a civil penalty of $10,000 per willful violation under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and $50,000 per violation under State Statute protecting children in online spaces.
He’s also asking the court to order Discord give up money and property acquired from Florida consumers, award damages, and cover attorney’s fees and costs.
“Invisible predators are locating Florida’s children online,” Hillsborough County School Board member Patti Rendon added. “The Attorney General’s office is ensuring that online platforms know they have a responsibility to keep our children safe. Attorney General Uthmeier and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chronister are critical partners in this mission.”
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