Discord’s age verification mandate is a leap toward a gated internet

Discord is about to force some people who use its messaging app to make a choice: use the platform with restricted features, or verify their age. It’s a move the platforms have been slowly approaching, but bringing Discord to teens by default represents a stronger campaign that could offer a glimpse of an age-restricted future on the web around the world.

Starting next monthUsers who do not verify their age using a facial scan or government ID will not be able to access age-restricted servers and channels, will not be able to talk in Discord’s “stage” channels, and will see filters for any content deemed graphic or sensitive, among other restrictions. They will only be able to skip age verifications if Discord’s upcoming age inference form determines they are an adult. The rules are a more extreme version of policies rolled out on many services, often in response To lawsuits And government pressure – even if it is The technology is not ready yet.

dead, Reddit, Blueskyand XboxFor example, age verification requirements have been implemented in response to child safety laws in other countries, Including the United Kingdom and Australia. On a global level, Instagram paved the way in 2022 with Asking underage users to take a video selfie When they change their age to over 18 years old, then intensify efforts for this Identification and placement of adolescents To a more private account in 2024. It’s begun Using artificial intelligence for scanning For signs that a user may be lying about their age, such as someone else on the platform wishing them a happy 14th birthday.

In response to concerns about children’s safety, Google announced last year that it would begin using machine learning to achieve this Estimating the age of its users in the United States Based on the information they searched for, or the videos they watch on YouTube. Similar to Instagram, Google places users it identifies as under 18 into a more restrictive account designed for teens.

OpenAI has also launched an AI-powered age prediction model in ChatGPT to identify users under 18 and restrict access to certain types of content, including graphic violence, sexual role-playing, or dangerous viral challenges. The model works by analyzing account-level behavior and signals, such as how old a user says they are, how old their account is, and when the user is active. Other AI platforms, Including Anthropic and Personality.AIThey use age guarantee to detect underage users as well. And Roblox It began forcing users to undergo age checks To chat with other players in January.

But where Roblox is largely focused on kids, Discord is very popular among people of all ages. It is upfront about all users, not just suspected minors, who are likely to be slapped with age verification. Its global rollout will also prevent users from getting around the restrictions by accessing the site from another region using a virtual private network (VPN). Many Discord users have already responded to the incoming change with calls to Interrupt the applicationwith Some choice to Leave the platform Besides Cancel their nitro Subscriptions.

The March rollout will be a sharper test of how much people accept the idea of ​​having their faces scanned by an AI club bouncer or uploading an ID to loiter online, and whether they’ll accept the risks involved. Last year, a third-party vendor was used by Discord was involved in a data breachIt revealed user information and a “small number” of ID photos used to verify age. Discord says it “immediately stopped” working with this vendor to verify after the hack.

says Susan Bernstein, a consultant at the Electronic Privacy Information Center Edge Placing age restrictions on certain features or content is not a “silver bullet” for safety. “The way to protect not just kids, but everyone’s online safety, is to design products that are less manipulative and don’t pose a risk of harm,” says Bernstein.

But age verification, not thoughtful design, has become the platforms’ standard response to pressure from around the world. They were already working in individual countries or behind the scenes with AI – and now, they’re front and center in a major social app.