Discord roll out revised age verification following delay due to pushback, pledging to be "safer for teens, same Discord for Adults"

Discord has introduced a revised age verification system globally, following a delay caused by privacy concerns. According to a blog post from Discord's chief technology officer Stanislav Vishnevskiy, the new system relies more on automatically estimating users' age through account signals, such as account duration and server involvement, rather than relying on facial age estimation or ID forms.

The three age groups determined by this system are adult (with no restrictions), teen (with some restrictions), and unconfirmed (with similar restrictions to teens).

Vishnevskiy explained that no single server determines a user's age group, and the system does not analyze users' messages, calls, or other content for age determination. The three age groups are assigned based on multiple account signals, and users can check their assigned group through their user settings. In cases where manual age verification is required, Discord has expanded its options to include credit card verification via Stripe, Google Wallet's ID pass, a reusable age credential called AgeKey, and allowing app stores like Apple App Store or Google Play Store to share the age range logged for the user, depending on the user's location and device.

Discord has thoroughly vetted these methods, ensuring that the data provided to them and their vendors is solely used for age group determination. Users can choose the verification method that best suits their preferences. If users have concerns about how the age verification works or how their data might be used, Discord has published additional documentation detailing the third-party age assurance vendors, their data storage practices, the age estimation models, and transparency reports on how the age assurance affects users in practice.

By launching a global approach with non-biometric options, Discord aims to preempt laws that may require less privacy-focused age verification methods. The company hopes that this move will align with upcoming policy decisions and contribute to both teen safety and privacy protection in the years to come.