Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Wednesday that the state has launched a civil investigation into Discord, a social media and online gaming application, over concerns that it is being used by predators to target children.

Uthmeier made the announcement at a press conference in Sarasota, where he described Discord as a platform where predators feel comfortable meeting children. He said the investigation follows prior state scrutiny of other platforms, including Roblox and Snapchat. According to Uthmeier, predators typically initiate contact with minors on apps like Instagram, Roblox, or Snapchat, then attempt to move the conversation to Discord.

As part of the civil investigation, the state issued subpoenas seeking documents related to Discord’s age verification processes, parental control features, marketing and promotional materials, and records of all criminal cases involving children.

Discord is marketed as a platform for talking, gaming, and socializing, and is available to children. The attorney general said that if evidence shows the company has not taken sufficient steps to prevent abuse on its platform, the state would pursue legal action.

Discord has not yet issued a public response to the investigation.

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