Discord is reportedly preparing to reintroduce global age verification under the codename "Tiny Bronco," according to a recent Wumpus Central post.
The news has sparked privacy concerns among users who point to past trust violations, such as Discord exposing 70,000 government IDs. The new system is said to impose stricter access controls for users under 18, including restrictions on adult-only servers, stage channels, and sensitive media. Here's how it will work. You click into a server, and a prompt appears asking you to prove you are an adult; if you don't, you won't be able to see the content within that server.
Additionally, Message requests would also become mandatory, and users could face blurred content in direct messages. These changes come as Discord attempts to combat its large platform, privacy concerns, and the implementation of systems designed to protect teens using Discord. Walking the line between intuitive age verification security systems, and non-intrusive, consumer-focused privacy is proving a difficult challenge. Not just for Discord, but any other company in a similar set of shoes.
The new gate offers four ways to bypass it. A video selfie via k-ID, which is processed entirely on-device, and the video is then deleted immediately. Discord only receives an estimated age. ID scans are also available, along with Google Wallet and credit card verification. Privacy advocates and users are pushing back against the changes, with some describing the move as a "breach of privacy," while others threaten to switch platforms rather than submit to age checks.
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Discord has claimed it won't retain any of the private information it collects on users conducting age verification checks, but that may be a hard pill to swallow for some users who have referred to stories such as this one.
