What is Discord? The secret message service Knox students used to spread their filth

A favourite with gamers, the secret message service is unfiltered and invite-only. Teens love it because, unlike Snapchat, their parents likely don’t know about it.

The messaging service used by students at an elite private school to share vile messages and videos is being increasingly adopted by young people because its groups are invite-only and completely unknown to their parents, a cyber expert said.

Discord was the platform of choice for students of Knox Grammar and their associates who exchanged horrific commentary, memes and images referencing rape, racism and paedophilia.

“This is an app where people, especially teenagers can secretly engage in unfiltered conversation on any topic they want,” cyber crime expert and chair of the IFW Global private investigator firm Ken Gamble said.

“You need to have a log in and it’s being used by young people at an increasing rate with some preferring it to Snapchat because their parents have no idea of its existence.”

Discord’s own mission statement on the front page of its website targets school communities.

“Imagine a place where you can belong to a school club, a gaming group, or a worldwide art community,” the message reads.

A message thread which refers to gang rape on the Gang Gang chat group. Picture: Supplied

Discord’s chat groups are known as “servers”.

“Servers are the spaces on Discord,” the website states.

“They are made by specific communities and friend groups. The vast majority of servers are small and invitation-only.

‘Some larger servers are public. Any user can start a new server for free and invite their friends to it.”

One user in the Gang Gang group which included students from Knox Grammar was so confident in the security of the platform they insisted there was no chance teachers at the school could infiltrate it.

One student seemed certain of the security of the Discord chat. Picture: Supplied

“If people are upset they’re going to tell (teacher) but frankly she has no powers to forcibly search your device for non-school related affairs. She most certainly cannot regulate the active server regardless of how hard she tries. who cares if you get reported. Just continually deny everything. there is nothing she can do,” they wrote to other Gang Gang members.

The user seems confident too, that no other users will identify anyone in the group.

“There is no one in our closer circle that is going to rat you out, so the evidence will be circumstantial if only given by a few people who are allied to the individual going against active Gang Gang members,” they wrote.