Discord Reconsiders Age Verification Plans After User Backlash

Discord Presses Pause on Age Verification Rollout

Discord has decided to delay its plan to implement age verification for all users, initially slated for March. This comes in response to user concerns and backlash that have surfaced over recent weeks. Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord's co-founder and CTO, revealed that the global rollout of this verification process, especially aimed at identifying users under 16, will now be postponed to the latter part of the year.

The company emphasized its commitment to fulfilling any legal obligations related to age verification, noting that such measures will eventually be part of the platform. However, Discord is currently developing alternative verification options that won't require users to undergo facial or ID scans. One such option being explored is credit card verification.

User Mistrust and Platform Transparency

“We knew this rollout was going to be controversial,” Vishnevskiy shared in a blog post, addressing the unease surrounding the process.

Vishnevskiy acknowledged that the broader distrust toward tech companies and their surveillance practices has fueled skepticism about Discord's intentions and its future use of collected data. "I get that skepticism. It's earned, not just toward us, but toward the entire tech industry," he noted.

When the verification process is eventually implemented, less than 10% of users will be required to verify their age to access age-restricted content. This is due to an existing internal system that examines account history, such as account age, payment method presence, and activity patterns, to estimate user age without reading messages or analyzing posted content.

Navigating Legal Landscapes and Security Concerns

Discord's age verification initiative aims to comply with new and anticipated regulations concerning social media access for youths in regions like the UK, Australia, the EU, Brazil, and various US states. The platform, with around 200 million monthly users, is also reportedly preparing for a public offering this year.

However, the initial plan, which required facial, photo, or government ID scans, sparked immediate concern among users. Alastair, known as Eret, a server host with over 60,000 users, expressed his distrust succinctly: "I do not trust them," he told the BBC.

Discord's history of security issues has compounded user distrust. Last October, a breach led to the exposure of official ID photos of approximately 70,000 users from a previous age-verification endeavor. More recently, a partner company in the UK left thousands of verification files exposed online, prompting Discord to cut ties rapidly.