The military loved Discord for Gen Z recruiting. Then the leaks began.

For years, the U.S. military has pushed to meet prospective Generation Z recruits on Discord, the online group-chat tool where many spend their time. On Friday, he was charged with two counts of retaining and sharing classified national defense information, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. By last month, a group member had reposted some of them in a separate Discord server, effectively sparking their viral spread. That kind of online bravado is common in Discord gaming groups steeped in the macho, hard-charging culture of tactical shooters and military combat, Ivory said. “People are growing up playing military videos and consuming military propaganda through YouTube in ways prior generations never experienced,” he added.