Discord to Roll Out Age Verification With Face Scan or ID
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Discord's new age verification system protects teens with privacy-forward technology that uses on-device facial estimation and immediately deletes ID documents, while most adults won't even notice changes since the inference model automatically verifies accounts using tenure and activity patterns. The teen-by-default approach delivers age-appropriate protections without compromising meaningful connections, and the new Teen Council ensures actual teen voices shape safety features.
Establishment-critical narrative
Forcing face scans and government ID uploads to access basic Discord features represents a massive privacy violation, especially after the October hack that left 70,000 ID photos vulnerable to cybercriminals. This surveillance system blocks adults from content and servers unless they submit biometric data or legal documents to faceless algorithms, marking the death of online anonymity.