Discord is expanding its testing of AI-powered age verification, asking some users to confirm their age by taking a selfie or submitting a government-issued ID as governments around the world tighten online safety requirements.
The messaging platform said the trial will run during June and July and uses facial age estimation technology provided by identity verification company Incode. Users selected for the test can either complete an AI-powered selfie scan or verify their age by uploading an official identification document.
The new system is part of Discord’s broader effort to comply with emerging age assurance laws in multiple jurisdictions, where regulators increasingly expect online platforms to verify users’ ages before allowing access to age-restricted content or features.
According to Discord, users who choose the selfie option will have their facial image analyzed to estimate their age. Those who prefer an ID check can submit a government-issued document, which is processed by a third-party verification provider. The company says it does not receive or store the submitted selfie or ID. Instead, it only receives confirmation of the user’s age after verification is complete.
Discord says the verification process is fully automated. For users who verify with an ID through Incode, the company states that no human reviews the submitted documents and that the data is permanently deleted once the user’s age has been confirmed.
The rollout comes as age verification becomes one of the technology industry’s most contentious privacy issues. Critics argue that requiring biometric data or identity documents introduces new security and privacy risks, particularly if third-party verification providers become targets for cyberattacks. Similar concerns have been raised following previous breaches involving companies that processed identity verification data for online platforms.
Discord has attempted to address those concerns by increasing transparency around its verification partners. Earlier this year, the company said it would delay a broader global rollout while introducing additional verification methods, improving vendor disclosures, and requiring facial age estimation providers to perform processing entirely on users’ devices whenever possible.
The company maintains that age assurance is becoming a legal necessity rather than a product choice, pointing to new regulations in countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil that require platforms to better protect minors online. Discord says most users will never be asked to verify their age, with checks generally reserved for access to age-restricted content or when automated systems cannot confidently determine whether a user is an adult.