Discord does not allow some users to access sensitive content unless they allow the platform to verify their age by scanning their face or ID card. Discord calls the new age verification process an “experiment” being tested in the UK and Australia in response to local laws requiring online platforms to install child protection screens.
The new face scanning and ID requirements only apply to Discord users who have not previously verified their age on the platform. Discord states that this is a “one-time process” that will be triggered in two situations: when users encounter nude or sexually explicit content that has been flagged by Discord’s sensitive media filter, or when users attempt to change their filtering settings to prevent such content from being blurred or blocked.
An age verification window will then appear, prompting the user to either allow Discord to access their device’s camera and scan their face, or send a photo of their ID by scanning a QR code with their phone.
Discord is likely testing this process to appease new laws in the UK and Australia that aim to limit children’s access to sensitive material online. The UK’s Online Safety Act requires online platforms that may host pornographic content to implement “robust” age verification methods, while Australia requires that access to social media be completely banned for those under 16. We asked Discord if the company plans to roll out its experimental age verification process in other regions.
Discord is surprisingly trusting in the accuracy of the face scanning tool, considering that some users may be blocked if the process decides they look too young to use the platform. Discord states that users who are verified incorrectly can repeat the process or request a manual verification, and users who have been blocked in error can appeal the decision.
Discord states that the information provided during this age verification experiment will not be stored by the company or any of its suppliers, regardless of which verification method you choose. “For face scanning, the solution that our vendor uses runs on the device, which means that no biometric information is collected when the face is scanned,” says Discord. “As for ID verification, the scanned document is deleted after verification.”
