Turkey Blocks Discord Over Crime Concerns

Turkey has blocked the messaging platform Discord following a court ruling. The decision stems from the platform's refusal to share data related to crimes of child sexual abuse and obscenity. Public outrage has been growing following a recent murder, prompting action against Discord for allegedly hosting illegal content.

Turkey has imposed a block on access to the messaging platform Discord, citing a court decision after Discord's refusal to provide information requested by the government. Turkish authorities announced this decision on Wednesday.

The San Francisco-based company has not yet made an official comment. Turkey's Information Technologies and Communication Authority posted the ban on its website following a court order linked to crimes of "child sexual abuse and obscenity." The action is connected to recent public outrage after the murder of two women by a 19-year-old man in Istanbul, with social media content reportedly showing Discord users praising the murder.

The Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, highlighted the challenges posed by the platform's nature, making it difficult for authorities to monitor for illegal activity. With Discord refusing to share data such as IP addresses, Turkey's security units resorted to blocking the platform's access.

(With inputs from agencies.)