Discord to Launch Global Age Verification Next Month

and enhance user safety.

TAGS: Discord, Social Media, Tech News, Online Safety, Internet Privacy

CONTEUDO:

Starting next month, Discord will implement a new global age verification system as part of a broader strategy to enforce “teen-appropriate” experiences across its platform. The company announced on Monday that all accounts will default to these stricter settings, with full access to specific features reserved exclusively for users who can prove they are adults.

How Discord Determines User Age

For the majority of the user base, active verification will not be necessary. Discord plans to utilize an age inference model that analyzes account tenure, activity data, and device information, alongside broad patterns observed across various communities. The company explicitly stated that this process does not involve scanning private messages or analyzing the content of communications.

Users who wish to unblur sensitive content, access age-restricted servers, or engage in specific app commands must be confirmed as adults. Additionally, the platform is tightening default communication privacy: messages from unknown users will be filtered into a separate inbox, a setting that can only be adjusted by those who have verified their adult status.

Verification Methods and Security Concerns

To confirm their age, users will be required to choose between a facial age estimation or submitting government-issued identification to designated vendor partners. Discord indicated that it intends to expand these options in the future and may occasionally request multiple methods to ensure accuracy.

• Facial Age Estimation: Discord claims that the video selfies used for this process are processed locally and never leave the user’s device.
• ID Submission: Documents provided to third-party vendors are intended to be deleted shortly after the verification process is complete.

These protocols arrive amid heightened scrutiny regarding data security. Last October, Discord disclosed a security breach at a third-party vendor that resulted in the exposure of sensitive identification data belonging to approximately 70,000 users. This incident has fueled ongoing digital rights advocacy concerns regarding the risks associated with mandatory age-check systems.

Expanding Safety Protections

The global rollout follows a pilot program that established age checks for users in the U.K. and Australia last year. Savannah Badalich, head of product policy at Discord, stated that the move is intended to provide robust protections for younger users while maintaining flexibility for verified adults.

“Rolling out teen-by-default settings globally builds on Discord’s existing safety architecture,” Badalich said. “We design our products with teen safety principles at the core and will continue working with safety experts, policymakers, and Discord users to support meaningful, long term wellbeing for teens on the platform.”

The tech industry is increasingly adopting similar measures. YouTube introduced age-estimation technology in the U.S. last July, and Roblox has implemented mandatory facial verification for chat access. Discord’s new requirements are scheduled to begin in early March.