Florida sues Discord over alleged child-safety failures

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has sued Discord, alleging the platform misled families about child safety and failed to adequately verify ages, limit contact between children and strangers, and prevent predators from using the service. The state cites criminal cases including a man who allegedly contacted nearly 300 children and is serving a life sentence. The lawsuit seeks financial penalties and court-ordered safeguards including stronger age verification and protections against banned users returning. Uthmeier said the state's claims could total hundreds of millions of dollars. Discord disputed the lawsuit's characterization of its safety practices, saying it uses technology, human investigations, and user reports to address harmful activity, and noted it has made safety changes. The allegations have not been proven in court.