Discord says ‘vast majority’ of users won’t see its new age verification setup

On Tuesday, Discord released an update clarifying that the “vast majority of people can continue using Discord exactly as they do today,” without needing to use a face scan or ID to verify their age so they can use the platform without restrictions. Discord states in the post that “age prediction” using information Discord already has will likely be sufficient for many users:

We’ve seen some questions about our age assurance update and we want to share more clarity. We know how important these changes are to our community.

Here’s what we want you to know:

• Discord is not requiring everyone to complete a face scan or upload an ID to use Discord.

• The vast majority of people can continue using Discord exactly as they do today, without ever being asked to confirm their age.

You need to be an adult to access age-restricted experiences such as age-restricted servers and channels or to modify certain safety settings.

However, in the case that Discord’s age inference model can’t accurately or concretely estimate a user’s age, they will still have to use a video selfie or ID to verify that they’re an adult. Users who aren’t verified as adults or determined to be under 18 will have a “teen-appropriate” experience with certain limitations, like being blocked from age-restricted servers.

Some platforms, such as Instagram, YouTube, OpenAI, and Anthropic, already use AI to “guess” the age of users on their services as they inch their way toward implementing age verification. Discord says it uses account information, device and activity data, and “high-level patterns” across the platform’s communities to estimate someone’s age.

Many users expressed frustration with Discord after the platform announced that it would start imposing an age verification requirement on users around the globe next month. While some claimed they’re going to leave the platform and cancel their Nitro subscriptions, others raised privacy concerns. Last year, a third-party vendor used by Discord experienced a data breach, exposing user information and a “small number” of ID cards uploaded to the platform for age verification. Discord says it has since stopped using this vendor.