“The lawsuit’s characterization of Discord does not reflect the platform we have built or the investments we have made in user safety,” a Discord spokesperson aid. “We look forward to collaborating with policymakers in working toward a safer online experience for all users on Discord and across the internet.”
Texas has filed a “landmark” lawsuit against Discord, Inc., accusing the popular online communications platform of allowing child predators to groom and exploit underage members.
In a press release, state Attorney General Ken Paxton said that his office launched an investigation into Discord’s practices in October 2025. The investigation was motivated, in large part, after conservative media reported that Discord was used by the person suspected of killing podcaster Charlie Kirk, described by Paxotn’s office as a “national hero.”
The lawsuit accused Discord of lying about its safety record, including by making deliberate decisions that “defaulted every account setting toward maximum exposure.” It also allegedly staffed many of its most critical safety functions with “unpaid volunteers” and built a platform architecture that some federal regulators have called “a hunting ground to find, manipulate, and sextort our most vulnerable.”
Paxton’s office cited the example of a 13-year-old Texas girl who was sexually assaulted in her home by an adult who had groomed her on Discord over the course of several years. A 15-year-old boy, meanwhile, was coerced into “producing explicit material through Discord’s messaging system” before committing suicide. Another teenager, the attorney general said, also took their own life after being targeted by the so-called “764” network.
“Discord has allowed and invited all kinds of nihilistic violence and evil. My office is taking action to protect our nation’s precious children from predators,” Paxton said in a statement. “We live in a time where the dangers children face online have never been greater, and every parent in Texas deserves to know their child is protected.”
A Discord spokesperson told The Texas Tribune that the platform has “robust” and continuously evolving safety features. The company also emphasized that, not only are about 80% of its users adults, but Discord’s terms of service explicitly prohibit persons under the age of 13 from creating accounts.
“The lawsuit’s characterization of Discord does not reflect the platform we have built or the investments we have made in user safety,” a Discord spokesperson aid. “We look forward to collaborating with policymakers in working toward a safer online experience for all users on Discord and across the internet.”
Paxton’s lawsuit asks the court to order that Discord implement reliable age-verification mechanisms for all users under Texas’s recently-passed Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act. It also seeks fines for alleged violations of the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act, arguing that Discord has routinely and repeatedly misled parents about the safety of its platform.
Sources
Texas sues Discord, arguing online messaging platform endangered children, misled users
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