"Just months after a third-party provider of age-verification services to the popular messaging platform was breached, exposing around 70,000 government-issued ID photos, Discord has decided to push forward with its age verification crusade. Yes, governments are imposing online censorship and data collection under the "protect the children" banner by demanding that organizations verify their users' ages, but memories aren't as short as you may believe. With thousands of sensitive ID scans leaked only last October, it's hardly surprising that user backlash has been swift."
"On Tuesday, Discord announced a "teen by design" overhaul of its accounts. Set to roll out to all users by March, accounts will be locked to a "teen-appropriate experience" unless age verification takes place. In a blog post, the messaging platform said these "age-appropriate protections" would result in "updated communication settings, restricted access to age-gated spaces, and content filtering" for anyone who remains unverified."
"The company claims that most users won't ever see a demand for age verification thanks to the platform's behind-the-scenes predictive systems that can determine whether an account is owned by an adult. However, if you are selected for verification and want to access content outside of the teen bubble, you'll need to provide a facial scan, ID, or other still-to-be-determined record to a third party."
Discord will require age verification for access beyond a teen-appropriate experience, rolling out changes by March. Unverified accounts will face updated communication settings, restricted access to age-gated spaces, and content filtering. Discord says predictive systems will usually avoid requests for verification, but selected users must submit a facial scan, government ID, or comparable documentation to a third-party provider. A recent breach of a third-party age-verification vendor exposed about 70,000 government-issued ID photos, prompting concerns over privacy and data security. The verification policy has provoked swift user backlash and driven some users to seek alternative platforms.
Read at ZDNET
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