New Jersey Sues Discord for Allegedly Failing to Protect Children

Discord is facing a new lawsuit from the state of New Jersey, which claims that the chat app is engaged in “deceptive and unconscionable business practices” that put its younger users in danger. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, comes after a multiyear investigation by the New Jersey Office of Attorney General. The AG’s office claims it has uncovered evidence that, despite Discord’s policies to protect children and teens, the popular messaging app is putting youth “at risk.” “We’re the first state in the country to sue Discord,” Attorney General Matthew Platkin tells WIRED. Platkin says there were two catalysts for the investigation. One is personal: A few years ago, a family friend came to Platkin, astonished that his 10-year-old son was able to sign up for Discord, despite the platform forbidding children under 13 from registering. The second was the mass-shooting in Buffalo, in neighboring New York. The perpetrator used Discord as his personal diary in the lead-up to the attack an ... Read full article.