Brazil orders Discord to suspend Go Live streaming feature immediately

The suspension marks a significant escalation in Brazil's enforcement of child safety standards on international social platforms. By targeting the lack of real-time automated monitoring, the ANPD is challenging the privacy-centric, invite-only architecture that distinguishes Discord from traditional social media. This move highlights a growing global regulatory shift where authorities demand platforms move beyond reactive user reporting to proactive, real-time content policing. The immediate implication for the streaming ecosystem is a heightened compliance burden for private broadcast tools that lack centralized oversight. Observers should track Discord's appeal process and potential technical updates to Go Live as a bellwether for how niche streaming platforms navigate increasingly strict regional safety mandates.

The ANPD’s enforcement action is rooted in the Digital Statute for Children and Adolescents (ECA Digital), a comprehensive regulatory framework that came into effect in Brazil in March 2026. Per AP News and Demarest, March 2026, the law requires digital platforms likely to be accessed by minors to implement reliable age verification and link the accounts of users under 16 to a legal guardian. The statute also explicitly prohibits addictive design features, such as infinite scroll, and empowers the ANPD to impose administrative penalties, including service restrictions, for non-compliance.

In the months leading up to this order, Discord had already faced internal and external pressure regarding its safety protocols. According to reporting from CBS8 and The Associated Press in February 2026, the company initially planned to roll out enhanced teen safety features globally in early 2024 but delayed the launch to the second half of 2026 following user concerns regarding biometric privacy. Discord’s planned "age assurance" system involves using an AI-based inference model to predict user age and partnering with third-party vendors for facial age estimation and ID verification when necessary.

Brazil has demonstrated a consistent willingness to temporarily ban major tech services to ensure regulatory compliance. In late 2024, the Supreme Court of Brazil famously banned the social platform X for 40 days after it failed to appoint a local legal representative and pay outstanding fines. As noted by Al Jazeera in August 2026, the current order against Discord follows a pattern of Brazilian authorities using platform-wide suspensions to force technical and operational concessions from global technology giants regarding content moderation and local accountability.