To bypass these safety barriers, users must either submit government-issued identification to one of Discord’s third-party partners or undergo a “video selfie” scan. Discord claims that the AI-powered age estimation occurs entirely on the user’s local device, while third-party vendors are instructed to purge ID documents immediately after confirmation.
However, the terminology regarding data retention remains a point of concern for many. Privacy advocates point back to an incident in October 2025 where a security breach at a former vendor, 5CA, exposed the government IDs of approximately 70,000 users. While Discord clarified that its core systems were not breached, the scale of the new global verification mandate will inevitably increase the volume of sensitive data passing through these third-party pipelines.
Looking ahead, Discord intends to supplement these methods with an “age inference model”—a background algorithm designed to determine a user’s age based on behavioral patterns without requiring manual document submission. It remains to be seen how accurate these AI models will be, though some users have joked about discussing taxes and physical ailments just to avoid being categorized as minors.
Badalich acknowledged that the move might drive some privacy-conscious users away from the platform. “We anticipate a potential hit to our user base,” she noted, while emphasizing that the company is already exploring strategies to re-engage those who might leave during the transition.
In related news, while controversial online safety laws in the UK are pushing for similar facial scanning requirements, some privacy-focused gamers have found unique workarounds within titles like Death Stranding 2 to protect their digital identity.
Source: gamesradar.com
