Discord has relaunched its age verification system, months after its initial rollout was met with significant backlash. The updated approach aims to provide a more privacy-conscious method for verifying users' ages.
Previously, Discord had planned to automatically assign users a "teen-appropriate experience" by blurring sensitive content or restricting access to age-gated channels. To bypass these restrictions, users would have been required to submit a government-issued ID or a video of their face to a third-party vendor, a plan that drew considerable criticism from the user base.
Co-founder and chief technology officer Stanislav Vishnevskiy stated in a blog post that age assurance is a topic that elicits strong opinions, particularly concerning the sharing of biometric information or identification. He noted that age assurance laws are expanding globally, with Discord already having implemented checks in regions like Brazil and Texas, and facing increasing calls for stronger teen protections from policymakers worldwide.
"To me, that makes it more important than ever to show that this can be done in a privacy-preserving way: one where more than 90% of you won’t have to confirm your age," Vishnevskiy said. The new system, rolling out this week, will infer a user's age based on factors such as account tenure and server affiliations, without scanning messages, calls, or other content.
If the system categorizes an account as 18+, no changes will occur. Accounts identified as belonging to teens (ages 13-17) will receive enhanced safety features that block age-restricted content and settings. Adults who are not automatically recognized as such will have access to additional non-biometric methods for age verification. These options include providing credit card information or allowing age verification data from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Vishnevskiy emphasized that all verification methods have been vetted, and data shared with Discord and its vendors is solely used for age determination. He acknowledged that age assurance is a contentious issue, especially as internet legislation moves towards more restricted online environments. Discord's decision to implement robust teen protections globally, even where not legally mandated, with non-biometric options, is intended to preemptively address future laws that might be less privacy-focused. The company encourages users to voice their opinions to policymakers regarding the balance between teen safety and user privacy.