Discord banned in Turkey following court ruling
A Turkish court ruled to block Discord due to suspicions of child abuse and the platform’s refusal to share data.
Turkey has blocked access to the messaging platform Discord after the company refused to share information requested by the government. A court in Ankara issued the decision, citing concerns over child sexual abuse and obscene content being shared by users on the platform. The Information Technologies and Communication Authority confirmed the ban.
The action follows outrage after a 19-year-old in Istanbul murdered two women, with Discord users allegedly praising the incident online. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc explained that there was sufficient suspicion of illegal activity linked to the platform, which prompted the court to intervene.
Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu added that monitoring platforms like Discord is difficult, as security forces can only act when users report content. Discord’s refusal to provide data, such as IP addresses, further complicated the situation, leading to the decision to block the service.
The ban in Turkey coincides with a similar action in Russia, where Discord was blocked for violating local laws after failing to remove prohibited content. The platform has faced growing scrutiny over its handling of illegal activity.
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