Discord is now verifying ages of its users
What's the story
Discord, the community messaging platform, has started implementing age verification measures for all users. The move comes after a pause in February due to user backlash over potential privacy risks from biometric scans and ID checks. Last year, a third-party vendor associated with Discord was breached, potentially exposing data of 70,000 users including government ID photos and selfies used for identity verification.
Official statement
Age assurance laws are expanding: Discord
Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord's Chief Technology Officer (CTO), addressed the concerns in a blog post.
He acknowledged the strong opinions and skepticism surrounding age assurance, especially when it involves sharing biometric information or a form of ID.
Vishnevskiy also pointed out that age assurance laws are expanding and that they have already had to implement this feature in other regions like Brazil.
User data
Most users won't have to verify their age
Vishnevskiy clarified that over 90% of Discord users won't have to verify their age.
Instead, the platform will use existing account data to detect "signals" such as account tenure, device and activity data, and other usage patterns.
These signals will help determine whether a user falls into the adult, teen, or unconfirmed age group.
Machine learning
How does Discord determine if you're an adult?
Discord clarified that it doesn't estimate users' ages based on message content, profile data, or demographic attributes.
The company explained in a technical blog post that its machine learning model has learned patterns to predict whether an account likely belongs to an adult or a teen.
This is based on how different age groups typically use the platform.
Verification options
Alternative methods for age verification
If Discord isn't sure about a user's adult status, they can still prove their age without a biometric or ID scan.
They can do this by sharing credit card or age group data from their Apple App Store or Google Play Store account.
For confirmed adults, there will be no changes on the platform.
However, teen accounts will automatically be blocked from accessing age-restricted servers/channels and message requests from non-friends will go to a separate inbox.