Discord filed an appeal on Monday (24) against the decision by Brazil's data protection authority, the ANPD (Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados), that suspended the platform's livestreams in the country. According to G1, the company is seeking an immediate suspensive effect to switch the live features back on and the annulment of the precautionary measure, alleging the agency lacked legal competence, formal flaws in the process and a "disproportionate" punishment.
The order targeted the Go Live feature and equivalent video streaming and screen sharing tools. Issued on August 12, it was carried out by Discord on August 17, according to Tecnoblog. Text messages, servers and voice-only channels kept working normally. The ANPD says the suspension will remain in place until the company proves it has adopted effective measures to protect children and teenagers on the platform.
The measure followed the death of a 13-year-old girl who took her own life during a broadcast on the platform. According to Tecnoblog, Civil Police arrested in early August five teenagers aged 13 to 17 and an 18-year-old man suspected of involvement in the case. The regulator's technical staff concluded that Discord has no access to video transmissions, which makes it harder to detect violations in real time, and that its age verification mechanisms are fragile. The debate over safety in digital spaces gained momentum after first lady Janja da Silva said the platform should be taken offline "immediately".
The appeal's arguments
In the filing, Discord's defense argues that the ANPD has no legal competence to order the suspension of services under the law known as ECA Digital, Brazil's statute on the protection of children and adolescents online. According to the company, the law assigns sanctions such as warnings and fines to the administrative authority, while temporary suspension or prohibition of activities falls to the courts. The defense also says that, even at the administrative level, a measure of such impact and nationwide reach should not have been issued unilaterally by the Superintendent of Inspection.
The appeal argues that the blocking of group video calls and private broadcasts affects families, students, communities and companies across the country every day, users with no connection to unlawful conduct.
Proposed alternatives
If the measure is not fully annulled or reconsidered by the Superintendence, Discord asks that the case be sent to the ANPD's Board of Directors. As alternatives, the company proposes converting the suspension into a Compliance Plan, with a technical delivery schedule and clear goals; the immediate setting of a deadline and objective criteria for a phased reactivation of services; and the formalization of a conduct adjustment agreement (TAC, in the Portuguese acronym) centralized at the authority.
The ANPD is a regulatory agency linked to the Justice Ministry. When it announced compliance with the order on August 17, Discord said it was working "in good faith" with the authority to restore video features "as quickly as possible".