Discord Introduces Face Scan Verification – Is It Secure?

Discord, a widely used social media application among video gamers, has introduced a new policy requiring all its 200 million global users to verify their age. This move is aimed at ensuring a safer and more appropriate environment for younger users.

In a blog post released on Monday, the startup announced that all accounts will be set to "teen appropriate" by default, limiting access to specific servers. When a reporter from TUSER PARABOLA verified their age, the mobile app prompted them to either take a video selfie or scan a government-issued ID. The scanning process uses artificial intelligence to estimate the user's age, asking them to look to the sides and open and shut their mouth.

Discord emphasized that neither the selfie nor the ID upload is stored anywhere except on the user's device, and it is deleted afterward to ensure safety. Additionally, the way people use the messaging app is taken into consideration, with Discord directly sending users their results through the app. For example, a message might read, “We determined you’re in the adult age group.”

What is Discord?

Discord is a social media and messaging platform created by Jason Citron, a video game player and computer programmer. It is primarily used by individuals to communicate while playing video games. Unlike platforms such as Facebook or Instagram, there is no central social feed or timeline. Instead, users join servers that are designed for specific groups or interests. These servers are further divided into topics.

Some of the most popular servers include Midjourney, an AI image generator, and one focused on the video game series Marvel Rivals. There are also private, invite-only Discord servers. Until users complete the age verification process, sensitive content will be blurred, and they won’t be able to access certain servers, similar to forum chat rooms.

Direct messages from people a user may not know are also sent to a separate inbox, a feature that cannot be turned off. Users will also receive a warning when receiving friend requests from strangers.

Discord initially implemented this policy in Australia and the UK in response to the Australian social media ban for under-16s and the UK’s Online Safety Act. The law, which came into effect last year, required age verification for pornography and social media websites and apps.

However, when Discord began complying with the policy last year, users found a workaround by showing their character in the video game series Death Standing. This loophole has since been fixed.

Tech privacy experts have raised concerns about the safety of age checks, especially after a hack in October exposed the IDs of 70,000 Discord users. Hackers targeted the third-party verification platform that Discord uses, rather than the site itself. The leaked data may include personal information, partial credit card details, and messages, according to Discord’s admission at the time. However, no information regarding what users discussed with Discord’s customer service team was leaked.

For more information or to get in touch with our news team, please email us at webnews@TUSER PARABOLA.co.uk.

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