Discord's plan to require users to verify their age to access adult content has sparked widespread backlash, with many users expressing concerns over the company's data collection and security measures. The move comes after a recent data breach exposed 70,000 government IDs, raising fears that Discord may not be able to protect its users' sensitive information.
Discord plans to use AI technology to verify age, which will analyze a user's facial structure or compare a selfie to a government ID. However, the company has emphasized that selfie data will never leave the user's device and will be promptly deleted after the age is estimated.
Despite these assurances, many users are skeptical about Discord's ability to protect their sensitive information. A recent breach of 70,000 government IDs in October has left users questioning whether they should trust Discord with their personal data.
One major concern is that users may be forced to undergo the age verification process multiple times if more information is needed to assign an age group. Additionally, some users have expressed concerns over the use of k-ID's facial age estimation tool, which is provided by a Swiss company called Privately.
Privately claims that its technology is "proven to be accurate to within 1.3 years" for 18-20-year-old faces, regardless of gender or ethnicity. However, experts have warned that flawed age verification technology can still struggle to distinguish minors from adults, especially when differentiating between a 17- and 18-year-old.
Discord's prior scandal over the breach of government IDs has raised questions about the company's ability to protect user data. The company has promised to review appeals and delete sensitive information quickly in most cases.
Many users are also concerned that companies like Discord will implement easily passable age verification measures to avoid lawsuits, rather than prioritizing user security. One user joked that they would be more willing to trust that selfies never leave a device if Discord were to pay millions of dollars to every user whose scan leaves the device.
The backlash against Discord's plan has been intense, with many users calling for the company to reconsider its approach to age verification. The Verge reports that some users may never need to verify their ages, and that Discord is planning to use an age inference model that analyzes metadata such as game activity and behavioral signals.
Overall, Discord's plan to require users to verify their age to access adult content has sparked widespread concerns over data collection and security measures. While the company has emphasized its commitment to user safety, many users remain skeptical about its ability to protect their sensitive information.
Discord plans to use AI technology to verify age, which will analyze a user's facial structure or compare a selfie to a government ID. However, the company has emphasized that selfie data will never leave the user's device and will be promptly deleted after the age is estimated.
Despite these assurances, many users are skeptical about Discord's ability to protect their sensitive information. A recent breach of 70,000 government IDs in October has left users questioning whether they should trust Discord with their personal data.
One major concern is that users may be forced to undergo the age verification process multiple times if more information is needed to assign an age group. Additionally, some users have expressed concerns over the use of k-ID's facial age estimation tool, which is provided by a Swiss company called Privately.
Privately claims that its technology is "proven to be accurate to within 1.3 years" for 18-20-year-old faces, regardless of gender or ethnicity. However, experts have warned that flawed age verification technology can still struggle to distinguish minors from adults, especially when differentiating between a 17- and 18-year-old.
Discord's prior scandal over the breach of government IDs has raised questions about the company's ability to protect user data. The company has promised to review appeals and delete sensitive information quickly in most cases.
Many users are also concerned that companies like Discord will implement easily passable age verification measures to avoid lawsuits, rather than prioritizing user security. One user joked that they would be more willing to trust that selfies never leave a device if Discord were to pay millions of dollars to every user whose scan leaves the device.
The backlash against Discord's plan has been intense, with many users calling for the company to reconsider its approach to age verification. The Verge reports that some users may never need to verify their ages, and that Discord is planning to use an age inference model that analyzes metadata such as game activity and behavioral signals.
Overall, Discord's plan to require users to verify their age to access adult content has sparked widespread concerns over data collection and security measures. While the company has emphasized its commitment to user safety, many users remain skeptical about its ability to protect their sensitive information.
i'm lowkey freaking out about discord's new plan to verify ages lol but like for all the wrong reasons 
i mean who needs more hoops to jump thru just to access adult content?!?! 
and what's up with using AI tech to analyze selfies tho? 
that's some creepy stuff right there 
and don't even get me started on those "guarantees" that they'll never leave ur device... 
anyway, i guess this just shows how companies are trying to passable age verification measures just to avoid getting sued 
kinda shady imo 
I'm kinda sure that age verification is a great idea 
but at the same time... I don't know if it's really necessary 
like, what if Discord just has some super strict policies in place and doesn't even need to verify anyone? 
or maybe it'll be so easy to verify that people will actually just go through with it without complaining 
but on the other hand... what if the AI technology isn't reliable and it keeps flagging legit users as minors? 
and honestly, I'm still a bit worried about companies like Discord just doing this because they don't want to get sued 
but then again... maybe this will all work out in the end 
, companies like discord just want to save face after some major screw up 
. This age verification thing is just gonna cause so much hassle and stress for everyone. And what's with the AI tech? Are they really saying it's 100% accurate? 
The facial age estimation tool sounds sketchy too, especially when there are concerns about differentiating between minors and adults. It's not like Discord needs to make a profit off of this, just protect their users' info... but I guess that's too much to ask 
. And honestly who even thought it was a good idea for them to store 70k government IDs?! 
.
. Can't we just have a simple password or something? Like, I get that adult content is a thing, but do we really need this level of "security" 
. I mean, if Discord can't even keep that info safe, how do we trust them with our selfies? 
85% of facial recognition systems struggle with diverse populations (source: MIT)
And experts are saying it's proven to be reliable, so what's the problem?
Like, who wants to deal with the hassle of re-verifying their age every time? It's just too much drama. I'm not saying it's a bad idea per se, but come on, let's get real about security. If Privately's tech is only accurate to within 1.3 years, how reliable can we actually trust it? 
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. And let's be real, if a company can't protect your info, what's the point of even havin' an age limit for adult content? 
i mean we've already seen them mess up big time with those 70k government id breaches and now you're trying to use AI tech to verify age?!? that's just a recipe for disaster 
.