Discord is set to implement a significant change: starting next month, users will need to undergo either a facial scan or provide identification to gain full access to the platform.
On Monday, Discord announced that it will begin a global rollout of age verification measures next month. This means that unless users can prove they are adults, their accounts will be automatically adjusted to a “teen-appropriate” setting.
For those who do not verify their age as adults, certain features will be off-limits. They won’t be able to participate in age-restricted servers and channels, engage in discussions within Discord’s live-streaming-like “stage” channels, or view content flagged by Discord as graphic or sensitive. Additionally, they will receive alerts when receiving friend requests from unfamiliar users, and direct messages (DMs) from unknown individuals will be filtered into a separate inbox for safety.
While direct messages and non-restricted servers will continue to operate as normal, users will encounter restrictions on sending messages and accessing content in any age-restricted server until they complete the age verification process, regardless of whether they were already members of that server. Savannah Badalich, who leads product policy globally at Discord, explained in an interview with The Verge that until users verify their adult status, access to these servers will be obscured by a black screen. Furthermore, joining new age-restricted servers will also require age verification.
This initiative by Discord aligns with a broader trend among online platforms aiming to implement stricter age checks and enhance child safety measures, driven by increasing legal requirements worldwide. Notably, this isn't Discord's first attempt at age verification; it previously tested these measures in the UK and Australia last year. Some users even managed to bypass these checks using creative methods, such as utilizing a photo mode in the video game Death Stranding. According to Badalich, Discord quickly resolved this issue but anticipates that users will continue to devise clever workarounds, prompting the company to remain vigilant in addressing such attempts.
However, it’s not just teenagers who might dodge these age checks. Adult users may also hesitate to verify their age, particularly due to privacy concerns surrounding the use of personal identification. This hesitance is compounded by a previous data breach involving one of Discord’s third-party vendors, which had exposed sensitive information including images of users’ government IDs during age verification processes.
As part of the upcoming age verification system, users may indeed be required to present a government-issued ID. Users will have two options to bypass the limitations imposed by the new “teen-by-default” settings: they can either use facial age estimation technology or submit identification through Discord’s vendor partners, with more verification methods expected to emerge in the future.
The facial age estimation method employs artificial intelligence to analyze a user’s video selfie, ensuring no data leaves the device. If a user believes that the estimated age is incorrect, they can appeal the decision or opt to confirm their age using a photo of an ID document. This identification will be verified by a third-party vendor, with Discord assuring users that images of these documents are deleted promptly—often immediately after age confirmation.
Badalich further clarified that following the October data breach, Discord ceased all age verification activities with the implicated vendor and has since transitioned to a different vendor. She emphasized, "We’re not engaging in biometric scanning or facial recognition; we focus on facial estimation. The ID images are deleted immediately, and we do not retain any personal information such as your name or location."
Interestingly, some users may not need to complete either type of age verification. Discord is also introducing an age inference model that assesses metadata, such as the types of games a user plays, their activity on Discord, and behavioral cues like working hours or time spent on the platform.
Badalich stated, "If we have high confidence that someone is an adult, they won’t have to go through further verification processes."
She reassured users that the majority of them will likely see little to no change in their overall experience, saying, "Most users are not specifically looking at explicit or graphic content. When we mention that, we refer to content that is genuinely adult-oriented and inappropriate for teens. Thus, the majority will not notice any significant changes in how they use Discord."
Nonetheless, there remains a possibility that some users may decide to leave Discord due to the new age verification protocols. Badalich acknowledged, "We anticipate there may be some impact on user retention, and we’re factoring this into our planning. We will explore alternative strategies to encourage users to return."
What do you think about these new changes? Are you concerned about privacy issues surrounding age verification, or do you believe it’s a necessary step for online safety? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
