Privacy concerns: "Discord" allows user conversations to appear in search engines

Discord announced changes that will allow conversations from its public servers to appear in search engine results, starting in mid-December, in two phases. The move raised concerns about privacy and the accessibility of messages outside the platform.

Discord announced new changes that will allow some conversations posted on its public servers to appear in search engine results on the internet, starting in mid-December. The step aims to expand the reach of the platform's communities, but it has raised concerns among users about privacy and the accessibility of their conversations outside their usual scope. According to an announcement published by Discord on October 27, the platform will implement the changes in two phases: the first starting November 16, where it will create dedicated web pages for all servers classified as discoverable, with these pages able to display automated summaries of discussions in their public channels. In the second phase, scheduled for mid-December, the platform will gradually begin making selected messages from public channels available on server pages and in search engine results. The move resembles how Reddit forum discussions appear in Google search results. The platform hosts over 63,000 discoverable servers, hosting communities discussing various topics including video games, gameplay strategies, language learning, and specialized interests.