Florida Sues Discord Over Child Safety Failures

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against Discord Inc. on October 15, 2026, alleging the platform exposed children to online predators and failed to implement necessary safety measures. The legal action follows a six-month investigation and the issuance of subpoenas regarding security gaps on the platform.

Florida officials claim that adults frequently pose as minors on the app to facilitate physical and sexual abuse. The lawsuit alleges that predators often move conversations from other social media platforms to Discord specifically to avoid content moderation.

The state is seeking structural changes to the platform, including the implementation of effective age verification systems and permanent bans for offenders. Florida is pursuing financial penalties of up to $10,000 per willful violation of deceptive trade practice laws. If it is proven that Discord knew a user was under 18, the state seeks up to $150,000 per violation, with total damages potentially reaching hundreds of millions of dollars.