Discord, the go-to platform for gamers, fandoms, and study groups, has always been a place where people of all ages connect. But with that comes a responsibility to make sure kids aren’t stumbling across content they shouldn’t—like explicit images or conversations meant for adults. In response to new laws in the UK and Australia, Discord is testing a system to verify users’ ages when they encounter sensitive content or try to tweak their content filters.

In the UK, the Online Safety Act 2023 is a game-changer. It demands that platforms hosting potentially harmful content—like pornography or graphic violence—implement “robust” age-checking measures to protect minors. Across the pond in Australia, things are even stricter. The government is pushing to ban under-16s from social media entirely, with laws like the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 requiring platforms to enforce age restrictions. These regulations aren’t just suggestions; they come with hefty fines and legal consequences for companies that don’t comply.

Discord’s response? A trial run of age verification in these two countries. According to the company, it’s a “one-time process” that only kicks in under specific circumstances:

• You come across content flagged as “nude or sexually explicit” by Discord’s sensitive media filter.
• You try to change your filter settings to stop blurring or blocking that content.

When either of these happens, a verification window pops up, giving you two options: let Discord scan your face using your device’s camera or upload a photo of your ID (like a driver’s license or passport) by scanning a QR code with your phone. It’s a high-stakes moment—pass the check, and you’re good to go; fail, and you could be locked out of parts of the platform or even banned.

How does it work?

For the face-scanning option, Discord is using an on-device solution provided by a third-party vendor. The idea is that the scan analyzes your facial features to estimate your age without storing any biometric data. According to Discord, “there is no collection of any biometric information when you scan your face.” The process happens locally on your device, and nothing gets sent to the cloud. Sounds reassuring, right? But it hinges on the accuracy of the tech, which we’ll get to in a moment.

The ID verification route is a bit more straightforward. You scan a QR code, snap a photo of your ID, and upload it. Discord says the ID is verified and then deleted immediately, with no copies kept by them or their vendors. Both methods are designed to be quick and privacy-conscious, but they’re not without risks or questions.

Here’s where things get dicey. If the face-scanning tool decides you look too young—or if there’s an error in the ID process—you could find yourself locked out of Discord or, worse, banned entirely. Discord insists there’s a safety net: if the system gets it wrong, you can retry the verification or request a manual review. If you’re banned by mistake, you can appeal the decision. But let’s be real—getting banned from a platform you rely on for gaming, socializing, or even work can feel like a gut punch, especially if you’re waiting on a human to sort it out.

The bigger question is how accurate these tools are. Facial age estimation tech isn’t perfect. Studies, like one from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2019 [PDF version], have shown that facial recognition systems can struggle with certain demographics—people with darker skin tones, women, and younger or older individuals often face higher error rates. If Discord’s vendor is using similar tech, there’s a chance some users could be unfairly flagged as “too young” based on factors like lighting, camera quality, or even just how their face looks that day.

Discord hasn’t shared details about the specific vendor or algorithms they’re using, which makes it hard to gauge the system’s reliability. For now, users are putting a lot of trust in a black-box system that could impact their access to a platform they love.

Privacy is the elephant in the room. Asking users to scan their face or upload a government-issued ID is a big ask, especially in an era where data breaches and misuse are all too common. Discord is adamant that they’re handling this responsibly. They say no biometric data is collected from face scans, and ID photos are deleted after verification. But trusting a company—and its unnamed third-party vendors—to stick to those promises requires a leap of faith.

This isn’t just about Discord. The broader trend of age verification online has privacy advocates on edge. A 2024 report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) warned that age verification systems often rely on invasive methods, like facial recognition or ID checks, that can erode user anonymity and create new risks for data leaks. Even if Discord deletes the data as promised, the process could still feel like overreach to users who just want to chat about their favorite game or TV show.

There’s also the question of scope creep. Right now, Discord says this is an experiment limited to the UK and Australia. But what happens if other countries—like the U.S., where similar age verification laws are being debated—start pushing for the same?

Safety vs. freedom

Discord’s age verification trial is just one piece of a larger puzzle. Governments worldwide are cracking down on online platforms to protect kids from harmful content, but the solutions often come with trade-offs. In Australia, the push to ban under-16s from social media has sparked fierce debate. Critics, including youth advocacy groups like the Australian Child Rights Taskforce, argue that blanket bans could cut kids off from valuable online communities and stifle their digital literacy. In the UK, the Online Safety Act has been criticized for being too vague, leaving platforms like Discord to figure out compliance on their own.

For Discord, the challenge is balancing legal obligations with user trust. The platform has always prided itself on being a space where people can be themselves, whether they’re bonding over niche hobbies or organizing massive gaming tournaments. Introducing face scans and ID checks feels like a departure from that vibe—a reminder that even the chillest corners of the internet are under pressure to tighten up.

So, where does this leave Discord users? If you’re in the UK or Australia, you might already be seeing these verification prompts. If you’re elsewhere, it’s worth keeping an eye on whether this “experiment” goes global. For now, Discord seems committed to keeping the process as non-invasive as possible, but the success of the trial will likely depend on how well the tech works and how users feel about it.