Discord has spent the last couple of weeks in the crosshairs of the internet, as its decision to launch an ID-based age verification program proved even more controversial than most of us likely expected. In a lengthy blog post, Discord says it’s postponing a global rollout for this initiative while it works to improve both transparency with its users and verification options, though it’s unclear if that’s enough for its frustrated user base.
In the blog post, Discord CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy stops short of apologizing for the program, but does offer a more in-depth explanation as to what’s happening internally at the company (via The Verge). After explaining that the internet has had a collective misunderstanding as to both Discord’s requirements and stated goals — not always the best way to kick off a pseudo-apology, but sure — Vishnevskiy lays out in plain terms “what we’re actually trying to do.” The primary goal is building “safeguards” for teenagers, which make up a far greater portion of Discord’s user base post-pandemic, while simultaneously allowing adult-oriented spaces to exist without massive limits.
After reiterating its claim that “90+%” of users either don’t engage with age-restricted spaces — and those that do can largely have their age determined without the need for an ID via account age, payment methods, and activity patterns — Discord gets to the meat of what’s going to change, beginning with the obvious. While this move halts the global rollout, for users in the UK, Australia, and Brazil, local laws already require either “facial age estimation or ID checks,” and there’s nothing Discord can do about those laws at the moment.
Beyond that, though, there are changes coming to an eventual global rollout. Although the post doesn’t address the firm that was involved in last fall’s data breach (5CA), the company does say it won’t be working with Persona following a test period in the UK throughout last month. Discord says it’s looking for full transparency from its partner vendors and multiple vendors to allow for users to have choice in who they hand their data over to. These methods will include credit card verification, while any vendor relying on age estimation will need to do so on-device.
Outside of these new internal requirements, Discord is committing to adding a spoiler channel option to non-adult spaces to circumvent current age-gating around those spaces, as well as a “detailed” technical blog post prior to any actual rollout that contains explanations on “how our automatic age determination systems work, including the signal categories and privacy constraints.”
For some, these changes might be enough to put away their torches and pitchforks. But Discord says age verification is still on the roadmap — it’s now simply delayed to the back half of 2026. And despite an acknowledgement of “mistakes” having been made, it’s unclear whether improved transparency and greater vendor options will be enough for those who don’t want to risk handing their IDs over to third parties entirely. Only time will tell.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments