Discord: Face scan or ID requirement only necessary in exceptional cases

Following backlash over the introduction of age verification on Discord, the social media platform is now softening its language. In an update to the announcement of the new measures, Discord now states that the vast majority of users will be able to continue using Discord without restrictions and unchanged after the deadline.

A face scan or the submission of an identification document will only be necessary for a minority of users. The age of most users will be automatically estimated by an AI model, Discord clarifies in the update. To achieve this, the AI uses behavioral patterns and “several other signals.” At the same time, Discord promises not to access the content of private messages for automatic age estimation. Only when automatic age estimation does not yield a highly probable, reliable result will manual verification be necessary.

Automated age estimations are a trend in the IT industry; recently, for example, OpenAI and Roblox have introduced comparable procedures. Such estimations spare users the face scan or the submission of an identification document, which many perceive as an invasion of privacy. At the same time, they enable services to implement youth protection mechanisms that would not be possible without an age classification of users.

Age verification from March

Discord plans to introduce age verification in March. All new and existing user accounts worldwide will then be automatically set to “teen-friendly experience with updated communication settings, restricted access to age-restricted areas, and content filters.” To change certain settings or access sensitive content such as age-restricted channels, servers, or commands, as well as selected message requests, users must be of adult age.

Discord already introduced age verification in the UK and Australia last year. According to the social media platform, the global implementation benefits from the experience gained. “The global rollout of standard teen settings builds on Discord's existing safety architecture, providing strong protections for teens while offering verified adults flexibility,” Savannah Badalich, Head of Product Policy at Discord, is quoted as saying in a statement.

(dahe)