A former senior member of Discord's Trust & Safety team has issued a stark warning about the platform's data retention policies and the risks they pose to users engaging in political activism. The employee reveals that Discord employees retain access to virtually all messages sent by a user unless those messages are manually deleted. This means that even seemingly innocuous conversations could potentially be accessed, raising serious privacy concerns. The former employee, who specialized in child safety and low-level terrorism investigations, emphasizes that Discord's data is vulnerable to legal subpoenas, and while this has primarily occurred in cases involving serious crimes, the potential for misuse remains.
The former employee strongly advises against using Discord for planning or discussing any acts of violence, even hyperbolically, against government officials or related entities. They explicitly recommend using encrypted messaging apps like Signal for such sensitive conversations. This recommendation highlights the inherent vulnerability of Discord's data and the importance of employing more secure communication methods when engaging in potentially controversial political discourse. The former employee's insights underscore the need for users to be acutely aware of the potential for data disclosure on platforms like Discord.
This revelation regarding Discord's data retention policies and the associated risks carries significant implications for political activism online. The former employee's experience within the Trust & Safety team provides credible evidence of the potential for data access and the legal vulnerabilities inherent in using the platform for sensitive political discussions. Their advice to utilize more secure alternatives like Signal underscores the crucial need for users to prioritize digital security and privacy when engaging in political activism, especially when discussions involve potentially controversial or sensitive information. The potential for data disclosure, whether through legal means or other means, represents a significant threat to those expressing their political views online.