Access Blocked for Discord: A Recent Decision by Turkish Authorities
Access Blocked for Discord: A Recent Decision by Turkish Authorities
According to information published on the website of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), access to the community platform Discord has been restricted. It’s worth recalling that similar access bans were imposed earlier this year on Twitch, Wattpad, Instagram, and Roblox.
Ekşi Sözlük users opened discussions about the access block on Discord, while social media users linked this restriction to communities known as “Incels,” who focus on misogynistic content, as well as other harassment and fraud activities.
In a statement made on his social media account, Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç cited Article 8/1 of Law No. 5651, which deals with the regulation of online broadcasts and the fight against crimes committed through these broadcasts. Tunç emphasized that there was sufficient suspicion regarding the crimes of “child sexual abuse and obscenity” on Discord.
Details shared on BTK’s website include the following:
“discord.com has been blocked by the decision of Ankara 1st Criminal Judgeship of Peace dated 09/10/2024, file number 2024/12907.”
Founded in 2015, Discord allows users to create communities through instant messaging, video calls, and voice support. According to information released last year, Discord had 560 million registered users and gained 85 million new users in 2023 alone. By 2023, the platform hosted 21 million active servers.
We will continue to update you on this issue.