Discord delay global rollout of age verification to improve transparency

7 hours ago

Discord pauses global rollout of age verification due to backlash and lack of clarity.
Age checks remain mandatory in regions where required by law (UK, Australia, Brazil).
90% of users unaffected; verification only needed for specific content/settings.
Global rollout delayed until Discord meets transparency and feature requirements.
New verification options (e.g., credit card), vendor transparency, and spoiler channels planned.
Discord will publish technical details and include age verification data in transparency reports.
Osprey, a safety tool, was open-sourced by Discord for other platforms.
Age verification laws (e.g., UK Online Safety Act) affect all large platforms, not just Discord.
Alternatives like Fluxer (open-source, self-hostable) gain attention amid privacy concerns.
Criticism over Discord's verification vendor ties to controversial figures like Peter Thiel.
BankID-like systems suggested as privacy-preserving age verification alternatives.

Hasty Briefsbeta