The Turkish government is weighing the possibility of imposing an access ban on the social media platform Discord due to concerns over its use by groups involved in child abuse, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has announced.
“We do not want to take a prohibitive stance, but we will not hesitate to use every authority necessary to protect our youth,” Uraloğlu told the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) today.
Discussions on the issue took place over the weekend with the Interior Ministry, Justice Ministry, and Family and Social Services Ministry, to assess the potential dangers posed by certain groups operating on Discord, the minister said, adding that any decision would be made after careful consideration of the situation.
Discord has recently come under scrutiny when messages supporting a 19-year-old man who brutally murdered two women of the same age on Oct 4 were shared on other social media platforms.
Reports in the media also suggest that certain groups operating on Discord target children through grooming, blackmail, sexual abuse and threats. Members of these groups allegedly use the "901" tag in their usernames to identify and connect with one another.
Turkey also blocked Roblox, a gaming platform popular among children and teenagers like Discord, in August following similar allegations. (VK)
