Discord Tests Facial Recognition for Age Verification Amid Online Safety Law Changes

Discord, a social platform popular among gamers and now hosting a wide variety of communities including adult content, is testing facial recognition to verify user ages in the UK and Australia. This move responds to upcoming UK online safety regulations requiring robust age checks by July for platforms with adult material. The platform will prompt users to either scan their face or upload a photo ID the first time they attempt to view sensitive content or change content settings. Discord claims the data used will not be stored; face scans remain on the device and ID images are deleted after use. Experts view this as a sign of a broader regulatory shift. Social media analyst Matt Navarra compared age assurance to becoming the ‘new seatbelt’ for the internet, predicting similar measures will become standard. Meanwhile, privacy advocates like Big Brother Watch argue these systems pose risks such as data breaches and digital exclusion. The Age Verification Providers Association suggests there are various accurate and privacy-conscious alternatives. Australia is also pushing for a social media ban for users under 16, highlighting global efforts to safeguard younger audiences online. Discord is also facing legal pressure in the U.S. from New Jersey’s Attorney General for allegedly misleading parents about the platform’s safety features.