// THE VERGE — MONDO
Discord will now automatically estimate your age
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The verification rollout was previously paused in response to privacy concerns.
The verification rollout was previously paused in response to privacy concerns.
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Discord is rolling out a new global age assurance system, seven months after pausing its previous verification measures following backlash from users. Starting today in every country except Australia and the UK, Discord will automatically assign users to an estimated age group based on “multiple account signals,” with account restrictions placed on users believed to be between 13 and 17.
The updates follow Discord slamming the brakes on its earlier age verification rollout in February in response to data privacy concerns. Its previous system required adults to verify themselves via video selfies or ID documentation, and faced criticism after a data breach at a third-party Discord vendor exposed user info and scanned photo IDs.
Since then, Discord has now pivoted to a system that shouldn’t require users to take any action themselves. According to the announcement from Discord cofounder Stanislav Vishnevskiy, signals examined by the platform’s age group estimation model include account age and history, activity levels across channels and servers, and connected communities, servers, and games. Vishnevskiy says the system doesn’t look at user “messages, calls, or other content,” and that its age estimation accuracy is on par with “what’s possible with biometrics.” Discord is anticipating that under this system, 90 percent of its users won’t be asked to confirm their age.