Ken Paxton Launches Probe Into Discord After Killing Of Charlie Kirk

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 9:19 PM

ken paxton launches probe into discord after killing of charlie kirk

TYLER, Texas — Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he will be investigating Discord after it was used by the reported assassin accused of killing Charlie Kirk. Paxton said in an announcement he has expanded the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act investigation into the online chat platform. In addition to allegedly being used by Tyler Robinson, the man accused of murdering Kirk, Paxton said Discord is "addictive and has exposed minors to sexual exploitation and extremist content." “I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with the Trump administration to root out and defeat nihilistic violent extremism in all its forms,” Paxton said. “Discord has chosen to allow extremist content, sexual exploitation, and addiction to flourish on its platform. It has a legal obligation to prevent minors from being exposed to these evils, but instead its actions have contributed to the growing wave of nihilistic violence all across our nation.”

He had previously launched an investigation into Discord over its privacy and safety practices for children. On Thursday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a probe into the popular digital platform Discord. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is cracking down on the popular chat platform Discord, citing its use by the suspected gunman who killed Charlie Kirk. "Discord has chosen to allow extremist content, sexual exploitation and addiction to flourish on its platform," Paxton wrote in a post on X announcing the investigation Thursday. BREAKING: I'm investigating Discord after the platform was used by the reported assassin who murdered Charlie Kirk.Discord has chosen to allow extremist content, sexual exploitation, and addiction to flourish on its platform. pic.twitter.com/8e883kGqwc

The investigation into the popular platform is described in Paxton's memo as an expansion of looking into violations of the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act. The Texas law, established in 2024, requires digital service providers, such as companies that own websites, apps and software, to protect minors from harmful content and data collection practices. The attorney general had previously announced an investigation to determine whether Discord is effectively safeguarding children online. This article has been updated since publication. Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that his office has expanded its investigation into the online chat platform Discord following reports that the platform was used by the alleged assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The move broadens Paxton’s ongoing probe under the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, which authorizes investigations into digital platforms accused of endangering minors.

Paxton said the expansion responds not only to Discord’s reported connection to the assassin but also to growing concerns that the platform exposes children to sexual exploitation and extremist content and contains addictive features... Discord logo displayed on a phone screen and Discord website displayed on a screen in the background are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on November 5, 2022. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) TEXAS - A Texas investigation has expanded to include Discord's potential use ahead of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last month. Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the investigation Thursday, accusing the popular chat platform of exposing minors to extremism. The Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act investigation has been expanded into Discord due to the reports that Tyler Robinson, the accused shooter in Kirk's killing, used the platform to plan the...

Paxton's Thursday release also mentions reports that the platform is addictive and has exposed minors to sexual exploitation and extremist content. AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton expanded his Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act investigation into online chat platform Discord after it was used by the reported assassin who murdered national hero... “I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with the Trump Administration to root out and defeat nihilistic violent extremism in all its forms,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Discord has chosen to allow extremist content, sexual exploitation, and addiction to flourish on its platform. It has a legal obligation to prevent minors from being exposed to these evils, but instead its actions have contributed to the growing wave of nihilistic violence all across our nation.” Attorney General Paxton previously launched an investigation into Discord regarding its privacy and safety practices for minors.

As part of this new expansion in the investigation, Attorney General Paxton has issued an expanded Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”) to Discord focused on extremist content, sexual exploitation of minors by grooming gangs, the...

Ken Paxton Launches Probe Into Discord After Killing Of Charlie Kirk

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