A recent announcement from Discord reveals new teen safety features that will be enabled by default for all users, set to launch in early March.
Recently, hackers claimed they had acquired 1.5 TB of age-verification photos, totaling 2,185,151 images, from Discord. However, Discord has denied these allegations, stating that there were around 70,000 users “that may have had government ID photos exposed.” Now, new safety measures have been implemented.
Discord Moves to Teen-By-Default Setting
The new update will make Discord a “teen-appropriate experience by default.” Which means that there will be updated communication settings, restricted access to age-gated spaces, and content filtering. After the update, existing users will need to use the age-verification process to get access to certain content and change settings.
For age verification, Discord users will be able to either “use facial age estimation or submit a form of identification”. The platform will also use an age inference model that runs in the background to determine whether the user is an adult. There are some other measures that Discord is taking with this process:
- On-device processing: Video selfies for facial age estimation never leave a user’s device.
- Quick deletion: Identity documents submitted to our vendor partners are deleted quickly— in most cases, immediately after age confirmation.
- Straightforward verification: In most cases, users complete the process once, and their Discord experience adapts to their verified age group. Users may be asked to use multiple methods only when more information is needed to assign an age group.
- Private status: A user’s age verification status cannot be seen by other users.
Discord will also introduce new default safety settings for existing and new users. These include content filers, age-gated spaces, message request inbox, friend request alters, and stage restrictions. They are also holding recruitment for the Inaugural Teen Council, “a teen advisory body that brings authentic teen perspectives into how Discord shapes their experience.”
What are your thoughts on Discord’s new Teen Safety features? Leave your thoughts down in the comments, and join the official Insider Gaming Discord server.
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