Key facts
- Discord and Meta are being sued by an anonymous plaintiff alleging their platforms provided predators with unfettered access to a teen girl.
- The plaintiff claims she was groomed, blackmailed into sending explicit photos, and coerced into self-harm by members of groups like CVLT, 764, and Greggy's Cult.
- The lawsuit seeks to hold Discord and Meta accountable for the alleged criminal activity on their platforms.
- Discord states it is actively working with law enforcement to combat groups like 764.
- Meta asserts it has policies and teams in place to prevent child exploitation and works with the FBI.
A woman has filed a lawsuit against Discord and Meta, alleging that the platforms facilitated child abuse and blackmail by providing predators with 'unfettered access' to her as a teenager. The anonymous plaintiff claims she was groomed on Instagram by a member of the 'Neo-Nazi' group CVLT and later recruited by another group, 764, on Discord after turning 18.
According to the lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court, the plaintiff's ordeal began at age 15 when a member of Greggy's Cult contacted her on Discord, leading to exploitation. Later, at 17, a CVLT member allegedly 'love bombed' her on Instagram before threatening her and coercing her into sending explicit photos and engaging in self-harm. These images were allegedly shared on Discord servers. She eventually escaped by faking her own death.
The FBI has warned parents about rising online extortion groups targeting children and is investigating over 350 individuals linked to the 764 network and its affiliates. The lawsuit argues that Discord and Meta's 'permissive environments' enabled these predators, resulting in the plaintiff suffering from PTSD, permanent scars, and poor academic performance.
Discord maintains that disrupting the 764 network is a top priority and that it has been working with law enforcement since 2021, removing thousands of servers and banning hundreds of thousands of users. Meta stated that CVLT is banned from its platforms and that it employs specialized teams to combat child exploitation.
Discord is seeking to have the case dismissed, citing federal law that shields social media companies from liability for user-generated content. Meta has requested the case be bundled with other social media addiction lawsuits. This case follows similar legal actions against Discord in several states and a wrongful death suit filed by parents whose son died by suicide after alleged involvement with a 764 member.