Could the internet be getting too big? With all of the problems and discontent fomented bythe internet, Discord has emerged as an intimate, friendly online ‘hangout’ for people with common interests.Since its creation in 2015, the platform has been quite common within the gaming community specifically, seeing as it was previously used as live voice chat while playing.

“There’s a need for more cozy, intimate spaces where people can spend quality time with their friends away from the broadcast performative stuff that we see a lot of,” explains Jason Citron, co-founder and CEO of Discord in an interview with The Verge — which is exactly what the communication platform intends to provide.

Discord calls these spaces ‘servers’ where the users are in control. Citron told The Verge that their intention from the very first day was “to create tools that give people the capability to design their own space.” In terms of naming, design, permissions, or channel type, users are able to customize their server. When users wanted to push the maximum number of people in a server, Discord did exactly that. They cater the evolution of the app to the users’ wants or needs.

As the platform continues to grow, safety concerns follow. After claims of child grooming and abduction cases occurring through Discord, Citron attended a Senate Judiciary Committeehearing in January regarding child safety online. He mentioned that they were working with Thorn, a tech company, to create an automated tool that detects and removes predatory conversations. According to the NY time’s report on the hearing, Discord reported almost 17k cases of child abuse material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The chat-room bodyguard. Another attempt at keeping the kids safe on the app is the Teen Safety Assist feature that can be enabled on the app. “They have a sidekick that’s checking out the conversation, seeing what they’re doing, and giving them tips on how to keep themselves safe or report things,” Citron told The Verge.

We’re well into the internet’s Ozempic moment. TikTok is trying to slow down the trend: In a bid to curb the trend of weight loss related content — and harmful behaviors associated with managing weight — TikTok is rolling out new community guidelines set to take effect next month. The guidelines note that the platform “[does] not allow showing or promoting disordered eating or any dangerous weight loss behaviors.” These new community guidelines come in addition to TikTok’s branded content policy, which also prohibits branded content promoting weight loss products or services.

TikTok is typically where internet users — especially Gen Z — go for unfiltered discussions and as a source for their own version of field research, Bloomberg notes. Plenty of content on the platform has centered on weight loss drugs like Novo Nordisk A/S' Wegovy and Eli Lilly & Co.'s Zepbound, as well as experimental drugs that remain in clinical trials.

This isn’t the first time TikTok has attempted to address these issues: Last year, TikTok moved to temporarily ban certain accounts that were posting about diabetes medications like Ozempic. However, some users believe the new policies are unclear and open the door for inconsistencies in enforcement, Bloomberg says.

The upshot: If it’s not allowed on TikTok, it’ll be allowed elsewhere: Content creators are exploring alternative platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, where they might not face the same type of content restrictions, Bloomberg says. They argue that the restrictions may shortchange a growing community seeking support for conditions that are usually marginalized. “This is 100% discrimination against people with obesity, people with type 2 diabetes, people with chronic conditions, people with health conditions,” Dave Knapp, who posts about news related to GLP-1 drugs, told Bloomberg.

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