By ROB TORNOE

The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

New Jersey is cracking down on the popular chat app Discord after a string of incidents involving children across the state.

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced a lawsuit against Discord on Thursday, claiming the platform has misrepresented its safety protection and leaves minors vulnerable to “harassment, abuse and sexual exploitation by predators.”

“Discord holds itself out to be a company that cares about safety,” Platkin said. “But for years, it has been deceiving young users and parents about the design and effectiveness of its app’s safety features.”

The complaint, filed in the Chancery Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey, claims Discord knew its safety features did not protect minors from being exposed to inappropriate sexual content or online predators, but refused to make changes to protect young people.

In one example, Platkin cited the platform’s “Safe Direct Messaging” feature, which Discord added in 2023 to automatically scan for and block messages that contained explicit content.

“The truth is, Discord’s app was not capable of doing that, and the company knew it,” Platkin said. “Turns out the safe direct messaging wasn’t safe at all.”

Platkin also said Discord claims to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing the platform but “barely enforces its own rule.”

“All a child has to do to access the app is just say they’re 13,” Platkin said. “Discord will take any 8-year-old’s word for it … potentially exposing a second grader to all kinds of explicit and horrific material.”

A Discord spokesperson said the company was “surprised” by New Jersey’s announcement “given our engagement with the Attorney General’s office” and plans to dispute the claims in court.

“Discord is proud of our continuous efforts and investments in features and tools that help make Discord safer,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The move comes on the heels of a lawsuit against Discord and Roblox, an online gaming platform, filed in February by the parents of a Burlington County juvenile. Authorities say the juvenile was coerced by a North Jersey adult into exchanging nude photos and videos on the gaming platform. The parents claim that both Roblox and Discord made the man’s alleged acts possible, and that their child has suffered “unimaginable harm” due to both companies’ “pervasive misrepresentations about safety.”

“They allow adult users to identify and readily initiate conversations with children, then manipulate the trust of those children, including by gifting them Robux, Roblox’s valuable online currency,” the lawsuit states.

The family was not identified in the lawsuit.

Sebastian Romero, 27, was arrested on Aug. 2 and charged with production of child sexual abuse material, aggravated sexual extortion, luring, and related offenses.

Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said Romero chatted with the juvenile on Roblox and offered electronic gift cards in exchange for nude photos and videos. Romero also allegedly arranged to meet in person with the minor and began making threatening statements when the juvenile did not appear.

Following Romero’s arrest, officials said they found evidence he communicated with at least 25 minors on the platform, according to the lawsuit.