Discord to require age verification through face scan or ID to access adult content
Communications platform Discord will now impose a stricter verification system for users who want to access adult content.
In a press release, the online chat service said it will be rolling out its enhanced teen safety features globally by early March.
As part of this update, all new and existing users worldwide will have a teen-appropriate experience by default, with updated communication settings, restricted access to age-gated spaces, and filtering against sensitive content.
Accessing sensitive content or certain settings requires age verification, which involves either a quick face scan or an ID upload.
Discord stated that more options will be coming in the future.
Additionally, the platform will implement its "age inference model," a new system that will help determine whether an account belongs to an adult, without always requiring users to verify their age.
Addressing privacy issues that may come with the verification process, Discored assured that video selfies for facial age estimation "never leave a user’s device" and that submitted documents are deleted immediately after age confirmation.
Aside from this, a user’s age verification status cannot be seen by others.
"In most cases, users complete the process once and their Discord experience adapts to their verified age group. Users may be asked to use multiple methods only when more information is needed to assign an age group," Discored stated.
After completing a chosen method, users will receive a confirmation via a direct message from Discord’s official account.
Those who want to change their assigned age can go to the “My Account” settings to submit an appeal.
Discord stressed that adult age verification is mandatory for viewing sensitive media or accessing any age-restricted channels and tools.
A few communication features will also receive updates. For the message request inbox, direct messages from people a user may not know are put in a separate inbox by default, and access to modify this setting is limited to age-assured adult users.
There will also be warning prompts for friend requests from users they may not know.
Savannah Badalich, Head of Product Policy at Discord, explained that these updates are significant to give teens "strong protections while allowing verified adults flexibility."
"We design our products with teen safety principles at the core and will continue working with safety experts, policymakers, and Discord users to support meaningful, long-term wellbeing for teens on the platform," she said.
Discord runs on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS, and in web browsers.
