Left-wing parties in Brazil call for blocking of Discord after foiled terrorist plot at Lady Gaga concert

• Left-wing parties call for suspension of Discord in Brazil
• Discord was used to plan attack on Lady Gaga concert
• History includes Telegram and X blocks in the country

Left-wing parties in Brazil are pressuring the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) to block Discord, after police revealed that the platform was used to plan a failed terrorist attack during the free concert by singer Lady Gaga, held on May 3 at Copacabana Beach, in Rio de Janeiro.

Operation “Fake Monster,” conducted by the Federal Police in four states, served 15 search warrants and identified nine suspects involved in the plan. According to authorities, the criminals intended to use improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails to attack participants at the event, focusing on children, teenagers and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Congressman Guilherme Boulos (PSOL), one of the opposition leaders, sent a formal request to the MPF requesting the suspension of Discord in Brazil. “ENOUGH! We will not stand idly by waiting for tragedies to happen,” the congressman posted on X. He argues that Discord operates without full legal representation in the country, making it difficult to enforce Brazilian laws on content moderation and combating hate speech.

ENOUGH! We will not sit idly by and wait for tragedies to happen.
I have filed a request to suspend Discord in Brazil until it complies with our country's legislation. pic.twitter.com/r9albFhRPT

— Guilherme Boulos (@GuilhermeBoulos) May 6, 2025

In the same vein, Congressman Reimont (PT) reinforced the appeal, sending a request to the Attorney General's Office for measures to be taken against Discord and the 4chan forum. Both are identified as platforms used to disseminate extremist speeches and plan violent crimes.

Discord said it has already canceled the accounts involved and that it has legal representation in Brazil, through the Licks Attorneys office, which operates in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Similar cases have already occurred in the country. OX, formerly Twitter, was suspended between August and October 2024, after refusing to comply with court decisions from the Supreme Federal Court. Telegram was also blocked in 2022 and 2023 for not collaborating with investigations into disinformation and neo-Nazi groups.

The episode reignites the debate about the actions of digital platforms and the limits of their liability under Brazilian law.