New Jersey AG sues Discord over alleged child safety failures

Summary

New Jersey's Attorney General is taking aim at Discord over its child safety features, claiming the platform has misled parents about the efficacy of its controls and obscured potential risks for children using the app. State investigators concluded Discord violated New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act during a multiyear review, though details of the case are sealed. The AG reportedly plans to argue that default settings allow underage accounts and fail to adequately verify users' ages.

Additional Summaries

New Jersey’s attorney general has sued Discord, alleging the platform misled parents about its child safety features and endangered minors. The lawsuit claims Discord allowed underage users to create accounts with minimal verification and receive unscreened friend requests, violating state law after years of investigation. While Discord touts its safety tools, including a family monitoring feature and a nonprofit for open-source safety, critics argue more stringent measures are needed as other states impose stricter online protections for minors.

New Jersey's Attorney General Matthew Platkin has sued Discord over its default settings allowing underage users to create accounts without birthdate information, potentially endangering them. Discord denies the claims, emphasizing efforts to enhance app safety with features like Family Center and Teen Safety Assist and a partnership with Roost. Meanwhile, other platforms face increasing legal scrutiny from lawmakers in California and Utah.