In its first major policy update in two years, Discord is taking aim at health misinformation, looking to limit anti-vaccination content, the company announced Friday.
The guidelines go into effect March 28 and prohibit "harmful misinformation" that is "likely to cause physical or societal harm." That includes posts with false or misleading health information, such as anti-vaccine content; "medically unsupported" cures for diseases; or anything that could "hinder the resolution" of a public health crisis.
The company also updated its policies on hate speech, adding caste, gender identity, age and serious illness as "protected attributes" in its policy.
Discord will now take into account off-platform behavior, which can put its users at risk when considering whether or not a user violated the new guidelines. Users that break these rules could receive warnings and temporary and potentially permanent suspensions of their accounts.
"Discord users also may not post or promote content that attempts to sway opinion through the use of sensationalized, alarmist, or hyperbolic language, or any content that repeats widely-debunked health claims, unsubstantiated rumors, or conspiratorial narratives," the company said in a blog post about the updates.
The company also updated its terms of service and privacy policies for improved readability, organization and clarity on how user information is used.
The updates follow far-right and extremist groups popping up often on the Discord, as well as platforms like Steam and Twitch, in the past year.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE