Discord has begun implementing its age verification policy, a move initially announced earlier this year that faced significant user backlash. The platform stated in a blog post that the new measures are designed to make Discord safer for teens while maintaining the same experience for adults. Discord's Chief Technology Officer and co-founder, Stanislav Vishnevskiy, emphasized that the vast majority of users, approximately 90%, will not be required to confirm their age.
The system categorizes users into age groups based on account signals such as account age and server affiliations, rather than content analysis. Users can check their assigned age group on the "Account Status" page within their user settings. The rollout is expected to occur throughout the week, meaning changes may not be immediately visible to all users.
Age Group Implications
The new age groupings will affect user experience differently. Adults will see no changes, while teens will encounter restrictions on certain content. Users whose age remains unconfirmed will also face limitations on adult content until their age is verified.
For users categorized as teens, several aspects of interaction will change:
- Communication: Messages from non-friends will be directed to the message requests inbox for review. To disable this, users must confirm they are adults. Friend request alerts will also appear if there are no shared friends or servers, though this does not affect existing conversations.
- Content Access: Sensitive images filtered by Discord's tools will be blurred or blocked. Access to age-restricted servers, channels, and bot commands will be unavailable unless users confirm they are adults.
- Profile Visibility: Full profile details and activity, such as currently played games, will be visible only to friends and users within smaller shared servers. These settings can be adjusted at any time.
Users in the unconfirmed group will experience similar restrictions, with the exception that their full profile details and activity will be visible to friends on all servers they are part of.
Age Verification Methods
Discord is offering several methods for age verification beyond the initially discussed options of selfies or ID sharing. These include submitting credit card information, allowing the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to share age group data, using Google Wallet for ID-based age confirmation, or setting up an AgeKey for cross-platform use. Discord asserts that data provided to its vendors, such as k-ID, is solely for age determination and is promptly deleted after confirmation. Biometric data from facial age estimation is processed entirely on the user's device to prevent it from leaving their phone.
Despite these assurances, user skepticism persists, fueled by past security breaches and concerns over data privacy. Online discussions reveal apprehension about sharing personal information with Discord and third-party services. The long-term impact of these controversial changes on Discord's user base and business remains to be seen.