Global Rollout And Default Settings
Discord said it will begin rolling out age verification worldwide starting next month, placing all users into a “teen-appropriate experience” by default. Only users verified as adults will be able to change certain settings and access age-restricted content, the company said in an announcement on Monday.
The company said that for most adults, age verification will not be required because its age inference model uses account information such as account tenure, device and activity data, and aggregated patterns across communities. Discord said it does not use private messages or message content in this process.
What Changes For Users
Some users will need to confirm they are adults to unblur sensitive content or turn off certain safety settings. Only verified adults will be able to access age-restricted channels, servers, and app commands. Messages from people a user may not know will go to a separate inbox by default, and only verified adults can change that setting. Users will also receive warning prompts for friend requests from people they may not know, and only adults will be able to speak onstage in servers.
How Verification Works
To verify their age, users will need to complete either a facial age estimation or submit an ID to Discord’s vendor partners. The company said it plans to add more options in the future and noted that some users may be asked to use more than one method if additional information is needed to assign an age group.
Discord said the facial age estimation uses video selfies that do not leave the user’s device. It also said IDs submitted to vendor partners are deleted quickly and, in most cases, immediately after age confirmation.
Data Security Context
The rollout follows a disclosure last October that about 70,000 users may have had sensitive data, including government ID photos, exposed after hackers breached a third-party vendor used for age-related appeals. The incident reflected concerns raised by digital rights groups about the use of age checks as a safety measure online.
Earlier Regional Tests And Company Position
Discord’s global launch follows its earlier decision to introduce age checks for users in the U.K. and Australia last year. Savannah Badalich, head of product policy at Discord, said in a press release that the teen-by-default approach builds on the company’s existing safety systems and is meant to give teens stronger protections while allowing verified adults more flexibility. She said the company designs its products with teen safety in mind and will continue working with safety experts, policymakers, and users.
Industry Context And Timeline
The move mirrors similar steps by other platforms as governments and companies focus more on child safety online. Roblox recently introduced mandatory facial verification for access to chats, and YouTube launched age-estimation technology in the U.S. last July to identify teen users and provide age-appropriate experiences. Discord said its age-verification changes will begin in early March.
Featured image credits: Ivan Radic via Flickr
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