New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has initiated a lawsuit against Discord, alleging that the platform misled parents regarding its safety controls and exposed children to online predators.

Platkin emphasized that companies must not knowingly produce unsafe products for children, regardless of their claims of safety.

In January 2025, Discord's CEO Jason Citron faced questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the platform's child safety measures.

Although Discord has implemented various safety measures, including a Family Center tool and Teen Safety Assist, critics argue these updates are insufficient.

This legal action follows a multiyear investigation prompted by violent incidents associated with Discord, including the 2017 Unite the Right rally and a 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo.

Despite having three levels of safety settings, the platform's default configuration allows messages from friends without scanning, which the Attorney General claims poses significant risks.

This lawsuit is part of a broader trend of legal actions targeting gaming platforms for their failures to protect children from exploitation and harmful content.

As of the filing date, Discord, headquartered in San Francisco, had not publicly responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.

In response to regulatory scrutiny, Discord is testing AI-powered facial recognition technology for age verification in the U.K. and Australia.

The lawsuit highlights Discord's reliance on self-reported age verification, which permits users under 13 to access the platform without adequate checks, leading to severe exploitation cases.

The lawsuit, filed on April 17, 2025, seeks a court injunction for improved safety features and potential financial penalties against Discord.

Cari Fais, director of New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs, stated that Discord has made it too easy for children to become targets for predators.