Data protection called into question once again
Facial recognition via AI or identity card sharing have become increasingly used means to regulate certain sites, particularly in Europe, which display “adult” content. Often this comes down to pornographic content, but this verification is now available on Discord :
“ Discord announces the global rollout of enhanced safety features for teens, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to creating a safer and inclusive experience for users aged 13 and over. With this update, all new and existing users around the world will benefit from a teen-friendly experience by default, with updated communication settings, restricted access to adult-only areas, and content filtering that preserves the privacy and authentic interactions that make Discord unique.. »
In other words, from this update which arrives in March, if – as an adult – you do not prove your age, you will not be able to access adult-only servers, while seeing some settings change such as receiving private messages from strangers, something which will be limited and controlled. You will still be able to access Discord, except for certain features. This measure will be implemented worldwide.
As Discord knows that this type of verification is scary and raises a lot of problems, it promises that the data provided will be quickly deleted after verification, whether it is your selfie video or your ID card. Nothing proves it yet. Since Discord made the news last October for the leak of more than 70,000 hacked ID photos (admittedly, via a third-party service, and not via a direct hack of Discord), there is necessarily reason to be suspicious. To give yourself an even clearer conscience, Discord announces the creation of a special council formed by teenagers (13 to 17 years old), in order to better understand the desires and needs of the youngest regarding the software.