NJ AG sues Discord, claims the messaging app exposes kids to online predators (2025)

Law enforcement officials in New Jersey have brought forward a lawsuit against the messaging app Discord, citing claims that the makers of the software "misled parents about the efficiency of its safety controls and obscured the risks children faces while using the application."

In a statement, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin claimed the makers of the application have violated the states consumer protection laws and have "exposed New Jersey children to sexual and violent content, leaving them vulnerable to online predators lurking on the Discord app."

“Discord markets itself as a safe space for children, despite being fully aware that the application’s misleading safety settings and lax oversight has made it a prime hunting ground for online predators seeking easy access to children,” said Platkin in a statement on the lawsuit. “These deceptive claims regarding its safety settings have allowed Discord to attract a growing number of children to use its application, where they are at risk. We intend to put a stop to this unlawful conduct and hold Discord accountable for the harm it has caused our children.”

The complaint, that was filed on Thursday, alleges Discord engaged in multiple violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.

Discord 'could not and did not' protect young users

"Discord knew its safety features and policies could not and did not protect its youthful user base, but refused to do better," the complaint alleges.

In particular, Platkin's office claimed Discord -- an app that allows users to share messages, photos and videos -- misled parents and kids about its safety settings for direct messages.

According to court documents, Platkin argues that a year-long investigation revealed that, although Discord has represented its app as safe and has touted its Safe Direct Messaging feature and its successors -- which it claimed to automatically scan and delete private direct messages that contained explicit media content -- the app didn't live up to these claims.

"News accounts and reports from prosecutors’ offices illustrate that despite the app’s promises of child safety, predators use the app to stalk, contact, and victimize children," Platkin's office said in a statement. "These sources identify alarming cases where adults were charged and convicted with using Discord to contact children, often posing as children themselves, and transmitting and soliciting explicit images through the app, including through the use of sextortion. In many criminal cases involving sexual exploitation of children on Discord, the children were under the age of 13, despite Discord’s claim to enforce its policy prohibiting children under 13 from using the app."

Lawsuit claims child users 'inundated with explicit content'

Among issues that Platkin's office cited as issues with the app, officials said Discord offers custom emojis, stickers, and soundboard effects, intended to make chats more engaging and kid-friendly.

And, Platkin's office notes, it has created or facilitated “student hubs” as well as communities focused on popular kids’ games, like Roblox.

But, officials said predators can use these features and communities to make online "friends," with underage users. Then, Platkin's office said, "child users can be—and are—inundated with explicit content."

Platkin's office also cited issues with the app's "Safe Direct Messaging" feature, claiming that despite Discord's representation that the feature scans and deletes messages with explicit content, not all of this type of content was being detected or deleted.

"Simply put, Discord has promised parents safety while simultaneously making deliberate choices about its app’s design and default settings, including Safe Direct Messaging and age verification systems, that broke those promises," Platkin's office said in a statement on the lawsuit. "As a result of Discord’s decisions, thousands of users were misled into signing up, believing they or their children would be safe, when they were really anything but."

The lawsuit, at noted by Platkin's office, seeks a number of remedies, including an injunction to stop Discord from violating New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act, civil penalties, and requiring the company to give up any profits generated in New Jersey.

Discord representatives did not immediately reply to requests for comment that were made by NBC10 following Thursday's announcement.