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Discord delayed the rollout of its controversial age verification system back in February after very loud backlash against the company's plans. Those age checks are now back, but this time, co-founder and chief technology officer Stanislav Vishnevskiy says the updated system will give users options that aren't as invasive.
Near the start of the year, Discord's age checks planned to automatically give all users a "teen-appropriate experience" by blurring potentially "sensitive content" or restricting access to age-gated channels. Getting rid of the blocks would have required users to verify their age by submitting a photo of their government-issued ID or a video recording of their face to one of the platform's third-party vendors. As you can imagine, Discord users weren't thrilled about sharing sensitive data like that.
"Age assurance draws strong opinions and scepticism, especially when it involves sharing biometric information or a form of ID," Vishnevskiy said in a new blog post. "At the same time, age assurance laws are expanding, and since my last post we've had to launch age assurance in other regions, including in Brazil and in Texas. We're hearing from policymakers in countless states and countries who want stronger teen protections, from the European Union to Indonesia. 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."
The new age verification system, rolling out over the course of this week for everyone, will automatically guess a user's age based on how long an account's been around for or the types of servers they're involved in. "We don't look at your messages, calls, or other content," Vishnevskiy promised.
If Discord automatically places an account in the 18+ adult range, nothing will change. Users placed in the teens (13-17) age group will have "additional safety protections that block age-restricted content, spaces, and setting." If you're an adult who hasn't been recognised as an adult by Discord, there'll be more "non-biometric" ways of verifying how old you are.
"We've vetted every method, and the data you provide to us and our vendors is only ever used to determine your age group, so you can pick whichever option you're most comfortable with," Vishnevskiy added. You can now input your credit card info or allow the Apple App Store/Google Play Store to share an age rating with Discord, for example. A more comprehensive list is available on Vishnevskiy's statement.
"Any form of age assurance, and the possibility of sharing something biometric or an ID, is a controversial topic. Rightfully so, because of what it represents and where internet legislation around the world is heading: toward a more gated internet. This is bigger than us," Vishnevskiy continued. "We've chosen to launch our stronger protections for teens everywhere using the most privacy-preserving approach we could build, including where it isn't yet required by law, because we believe it's the right thing to do. By launching a global approach with non-biometric options, we're getting ahead of laws that might ask us to implement something less privacy-focused. The decisions policymakers make now will shape how platforms advance both teen safety and privacy for years to come, and I encourage people to make their perspectives heard where they live."
English (US) ·