Attorney General Ken Paxton expanded his Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act investigation into online chat platform Discord after it was used by the reported assassin who murdered national hero Charlie Kirk, as well as reports that the platform is addictive and has exposed minors to sexual exploitation and extremist content.
“I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with the Trump Administration to root out and defeat nihilistic violent extremism in all its forms,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Discord has chosen to allow extremist content, sexual exploitation, and addiction to flourish on its platform. It has a legal obligation to prevent minors from being exposed to these evils, but instead its actions have contributed to the growing wave of nihilistic violence all across our nation.”
Attorney General Paxton previously launched an investigation into Discord regarding its privacy and safety practices for minors. As part of this new expansion in the investigation, Attorney General Paxton has issued an expanded Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”) to Discord focused on extremist content, sexual exploitation of minors by grooming gangs, the rise of shooters carrying out acts of nihilistic extremist violence, and the addictiveness of the platform for minors.
The Attorney General’s investigation will examine the content on Discord’s platform and its role in contributing to the radicalization, sexual exploitation, and addiction of minors.