Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has hauled Discord Inc. into court, filing a civil lawsuit yesterday that accuses the popular chat platform of deceiving parents and leaving minors exposed to online predators. The case, filed in Collin County district court, claims Discord’s product design and default settings make it far too easy for adults to contact and groom children, and asks a judge to force changes to how the company builds and markets its safety tools.
What Paxton Wants From The Court
In a press release, the Attorney General's office said it is asking the court to require Discord to turn on maximum safety settings for new accounts by default, implement age verification in line with Texas’s Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, and give up revenue tied to the alleged conduct. The Office of the Attorney General is also seeking civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, along with restitution and attorneys’ fees.
The Court Filing Points To Real Cases
The state's verified petition points to a series of real-world tragedies it says trace back to Discord. Those include a 13-year-old Texas girl who was allegedly groomed on the platform and later sexually assaulted, a 15-year-old who was coerced into sending explicit material and then died by suicide, and a 13-year-old targeted by an extremist network who also took their own life. The petition from the Office of the Attorney General presents these incidents as proof that the platform’s architecture and default settings enabled exploitation rather than isolated misuse.
Why Discord Is Under Scrutiny
A multi-year investigation by NBC News found dozens of criminal prosecutions and hundreds of reported incidents involving Discord communications. Reporters documented how predators often lure victims from public games into private Discord servers, where abuse is much harder to spot. The outlet reported at least 35 prosecutions tied to kidnapping, grooming or sexual assault, plus another 165 cases involving child sexual abuse material or sextortion, based on court records and law-enforcement communications.
Part Of A Broader Wave Of State Actions
Paxton’s lawsuit is the latest in a growing line of state actions targeting Discord, as attorneys general around the country launch suits and investigations over age checks, moderation practices and alleged misleading safety claims. As the Texas Tribune reported, the filing lands in the middle of a broader blitz by Paxton’s office against major technology companies this month.
Legal Implications
The complaint is brought under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and cites provisions of the SCOPE Act as the state seeks injunctive relief, restitution and civil penalties for consumers it says were misled. In its petition from the Office of the Attorney General, the state asks the court both to force Discord to change its default product settings and to impose monetary remedies if Paxton’s team proves its claims.
What Comes Next
The state has requested immediate court-ordered remedies while the case moves forward. If a judge grants an injunction, Discord could be ordered to alter default safety settings and age-verification practices for users in Texas. The Texas Tribune notes that Discord did not respond right away to requests for comment; the company has previously said it is investing in safety tools and age-assurance technology.
For parents and caregivers worried about online exploitation, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children continues to offer educational resources and a reporting portal for suspected child sexual exploitation. NCMEC and local law enforcement remain the primary channels for urgent reports while the Texas litigation plays out in court.
