Discord has rolled out a new age verification system designed to help manage access to its platform for users under 18. In response to growing concerns about the impact of social media on young people, many platforms have been updating their policies to ensure that minors have appropriate restrictions in place. Earlier this year, Discord had planned to require users to either scan their ID or use facial recognition to confirm they were over 18. However, the company delayed these changes after receiving feedback about privacy issues and the potential misuse of personal data. Starting this week, Discord will use a more privacy-conscious approach to determine users' age groups. The platform will automatically classify users as either Adult or Teen based on factors like the age of their account, the servers they join, and their activity levels. Importantly, Discord will not access messages or calls to make this determination, and users’ age groups will not be visible on their profiles or shared with others. Users can check their assigned age group in the Account Status section of their settings. For most users, no additional steps will be needed if they are placed in the correct group. If a user is placed in the "Unconfirmed" category, they will have several options to verify they are over 18. These may include using a credit card, Apple or Google accounts, or a service called AgeKey. For users who prefer more traditional methods, options like scanning an ID or taking a video selfie may also be available, depending on regional laws. To protect user privacy, any third-party verification service must delete a user’s data after completing the process, and any facial recognition must be processed entirely on the user’s device. Users in the Teen Age Group will face some restrictions to ensure a safer experience. Messages from non-friends will go to a message requests inbox, and users will receive alerts before accepting friend requests from people without mutual connections. They will also be unable to view certain content, such as images marked as sensitive or servers and channels restricted to adults. Additionally, their full profile details and activity will only be visible to friends and members of smaller servers. Users in the Unconfirmed category will be subject to these first two restrictions until they verify their age.