Discord has announced significant changes aimed at enhancing safety for teen users on its platform. Beginning in March, all users worldwide will be required to undergo an age verification process, which can be completed through a facial scan or by submitting identification. Those who do not complete this verification will be given access restrictions appropriate for teens.
In an effort to prioritize user safety, Discord plans to automatically designate all accounts as teen-level access until the verification process has been completed. This strategy aims to ensure that only adults can access content specifically intended for them while placing restrictions on what teens can see and do within the platform.
To facilitate this transition, Discord will introduce various options for age verification. Users can opt for facial age estimation or provide an identification document to partner vendors. Additionally, the platform will implement an age inference model designed to assist in determining whether an account belongs to an adult without needing continual verification from users. In cases where more information is necessary to categorize a user correctly, multiple verification methods may be requested.
The rollout of age verification is set to commence in early March, aligning with increasing global legislative attention on the necessity of establishing age safeguards in digital environments.
To address privacy concerns raised in the past—especially following a data breach involving one of its third-party vendors—Discord has outlined several protective measures for its age verification process. These include ensuring that video selfies for facial age estimation remain on the user’s device, the rapid deletion of submitted identity documents post-verification, and maintaining a straightforward verification experience where users typically complete the process once. Importantly, a user’s age verification status will remain private and inaccessible to others on the platform.
As Discord takes these steps toward reinforcing user safety, it’s crucial to consider the broader trend of age verification across social apps. These initiatives reflect a growing commitment to ensuring that platforms are secure and age-appropriate for their users, especially those in their teenage years.