Discord is asking for your ID. The backlash is about more than privacy

"Want to use Discord from next month? You'll have to hand over a photo of your ID or a scan of your face to verify you're of age. It's part of a new process introduced by the chat app aimed at ensuring no one underage is using the platform. All new and existing users, the company says, will be given a "teen-appropriate experience" by default, including content filtering and limited access to spaces that host adult content."

"To regain the experience they previously had, users will need to prove their age through one of several options, including video selfies or sharing a photo of an identity document. (Discord did not immediately respond to Fast Company 's request for comment.) Users have reacted pretty unfavorably toward the proposal, with many saying they're unhappy about sharing personal data with Discord, which faced a massive data breach reported just months ago."

""It's a reflection of growing concerns over the erosion of privacy online, and the slippery slope of mandating identity and age verification across the internet, making these systems a prime tool for surveillance and tracking," says Rin Alajaji, associate director of state affairs at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). "Mandating age verification on a platform like Discord directly undermines the platform and the internet's long-standing culture of anonymity.""

Discord will require users to verify age by submitting a photo of an identity document or a facial scan starting next month. All users will receive a teen-appropriate experience by default, including content filtering and restricted access to adult-hosting spaces, until age verification is completed. Regaining previous account experiences requires proving age via options such as video selfies or ID photos. Users expressed strong privacy concerns, citing a recent breach in which ID photos of 70,000 users were potentially exposed. Privacy advocates warn that mandatory age verification risks eroding online anonymity and enabling surveillance and tracking.

Read at Fast Company