Discord gets sued for allegedly violating child safety laws

is a reporter who covers the business, culture, and communities of video games, with a focus on marginalized gamers and the quirky, horny culture of video game communities. The state of New Jersey has filed suit against Discord claiming the company engaged in “deceptive and unconscionable business practices” that put children at risk. The suit was filed Thursday and alleges the popular messaging app of not doing enough to keep its youngest users safe from predators and violent content. Here’s a link to the complaint. The suit claims that Discord’s existing protections for children are either inadequate or are easy to circumvent. For example, while Discord prohibits users under the age of 13 from making an account, it does nothing to verify users are the age they claim. “All Discord does to verify a new user’s age is require the user to enter a birthdate — meaning any 8-year-old can access the application merely by saying they are 13,“ the lawsuit reads. Additionally, Discord has set ... Read full article.