Anyone who uses the chat app Discord should currently be even more careful than usual. This is especially true for concerned parents who are careful about their children's digital devices. Since the data leak became known last week, there have been increasing reports of phishing emails and misuse of the hijacked account information. Security expert Ildikó Bruhns from Saferkidsonline reveals how children can use the popular online service more safely.
It's not just data protection that can be expanded on Discord
The tool originally comes from the gamer scene. The idea behind it was that users could play with each other and communicate at the same time. Given its various uses such as listening to music, sharing screens, connecting to platforms such as Twitch, Mixer, Steam or Spotify and thanks to what feels like secure privacy, Discord has become a sure-fire success, especially among young people. In addition, the tool works as an app or in the browser on all digital devices and is free and ad-free. Users “pay” for this by selling their data to third parties.
According to its own information, the communication tool now has more than 250 million registered members. But it has been repeatedly criticized for a long time, and not just in terms of data protection. Since companies such as servers are based in the USA, Discord users' data is processed and passed on there. The requirements of the GDPR valid in Europe are in no way met.
Hate speech and insults are not uncommon
“The transparency report published by Discord from October to December 2022 showed that, among other things, hate comments and bullying are not isolated cases. In total, more than 150,000 accounts were blocked within three months, almost half of them explicitly because of such child protection violations,” explains Ildikó Bruhns, project manager at Saferkidsonline. “Unencrypted end-to-end messages also pose a security risk. Messages, images, videos or other private content are not protected. The offspring should under no circumstances share personal and confidential data via Discord.”
In addition, there are pitfalls such as unwanted contact and non-age-appropriate content, which also lurks on other platforms. However, Discord allows you to share specially marked pornographic content with the abbreviation NSFW (Not Safe for Work) in chat rooms. But be careful, even if entering the chat room is linked to an age query, the information is not checked.
5 important tips for parents
- Set up the Discord account together with your child and set up usage rules for how your child should behave when it comes to invitations, contacts and bullying.
- Teach your child that sharing personal information is a no-go. The sharing of data can be further restricted in the privacy settings.
- Create a strong password together and set up two-factor authentication. Provide correct date of birth when registering to block access to NSFW content.
- Using the Privacy and Security menu, Safe Direct Messaging can be used to screen out inappropriate content from direct messages. You can also block direct messages from other users using the option of the same name.
- The settings can also be used to specify how user data is passed on and processed and who can send friend requests.
Parents can find further tips and information at: https://saferkidsonline.eset.com/de/article/nach-dem-hack-so-nutzt-ihr-discord-sicherer
Source:
Eset
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