AUSTIN, TX – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has expanded his investigation into the online chat platform Discord following revelations that the reported assassin of Charlie Kirk used the service, along with ongoing concerns over the platform’s alleged role in exposing minors to sexual exploitation, extremist content, and addictive features.
The move comes under the authority of the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, which allows the Attorney General to investigate digital platforms that may pose risks to minors.
“I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with the Trump Administration to root out and defeat nihilistic violent extremism in all its forms,” Paxton stated. “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.”
Paxton had previously initiated a probe into Discord’s safety and privacy practices concerning minors. The expanded Civil Investigative Demand (CID) now seeks information specifically related to extremist content, grooming of minors, the role of the platform in mass violence, and features that may foster addiction in youth users.
The Attorney General’s office said the investigation will assess Discord’s compliance with legal obligations and its role in the radicalization and exploitation of minors.
