Discord Will Soon Enforce Age Verification, But it Will Not Impact Most Users

Discord has announced they will soon be requiring Age Verification for accounts wishing to access adult content.

This rollout is expected to begin in March, where users will then be required to submit proof of their age if they want to avoid being restricted. This can be by providing a Photo ID or by allowing Discord to make the determination itself. 

While details of this verification method have not been disclosed, the app will apparently monitor your account and look for activity that points towards a specific age. This could also include account age, meaning users who registered for the services in 2015 should in theory be safe. The terms of use state a user must be at least 13 years of age to use the app, meaning those who registered in 2015 would now be 24 at the youngest. 

Of course there may be other checks in place as well, meaning a younger user cannot simply use an adult's Discord to bypass the new blocks. If Discord deems the user to be under age, the account will become restricted.

Privacy Concerns:

When addressing privacy concerns, Discord's official statement is as follows:

• On-device processing: Video selfies for facial age estimation never leave a user’s device
• Quick deletion: Identity documents submitted to our vendors are deleted quickly—in most cases, immediately after age confirmation.
• Straightforward verification: In most cases, users complete the process once and their Discord experience adapts to their verified age group. Users may be asked to use multiple methods only when more information is needed to assign an age group.
• Private status: A user's age verification status is only available to that user and cannot be seen by others

What is Restricted?

With the new policy, every account will begin with all security options enabled, but Adult Accounts will have the option to turn them off and on. Here is everything that will be impacted by the default options:

• Content Filters: Discord users will need to be age-assured as adults in order to unblur sensitive content or turn off the setting.
• Age-gated Spaces: Only users who are age-assured as adults will be able to access age-restricted channels, servers, and app commands. 
• Message Request Inbox: Direct messages from people a user may not know are routed to a separate inbox by default, and access to modify this setting is limited to age-assured adult users.
• Friend Request Alerts: People will receive warning prompts for friend requests from users they may not know.
• Stage Restrictions: Only age-assured adults may speak on stage in servers.

 

Will this really change anything?

Going by what Discord has announced so far, this change will not make too much of a difference for most users. The biggest difference is that Teen Accounts will not have access to channels tagged Not Safe For Work. Of course it is up to the individual server to ensure adult content remains within these specifically marked channels, but in general such content should not be shared on the service without age gating it.

Additionally age restricted commands will also become unavailable—something that is custom for each server—and teens will be unable to speak within Stage Voice Channels. 

In other words, unless you are someone who uses Discord for adult content, having a Teen Account will not impact your use of the service.

 

For more, you can check out the official announcement from Discord.