Discord is preventing some users from accessing sensitive content unless they allow the platform to verify their age by scanning their face or ID. The new age verification process is described as an “experiment” by Discord, and is being trialed in the United Kingdom and Australia in response to local laws that require online platforms to have guardrails in place for safeguarding children.

The new face and ID scanning requirements only apply to Discord users who haven’t previously verified their age on the platform. Discord says this is a “one-time process” that will be triggered in two situations: when users are exposed to nude or sexually explicit content that’s been flagged by Discord’s sensitive media filter, or when users attempt to change filter control settings to prevent such content from being blurred or blocked. 

An age verification window will then appear that prompts the user to either allow Discord to access their device camera and scan their face, or submit a photograph of their ID by scanning a QR code via their phone.

Discord is likely trialing this process to appease new laws in the UK and Australia that aim to restrict children from accessing sensitive material online. The UK’s Online Safety Act requires online platforms that may host pornographic content to introduce “robust” age-checking techniques, while Australia is requiring that under-16s be prevented from accessing social media platforms entirely. We have asked Discord if it has any plans to roll out its experimental age verification process in other regions.

Discord is placing a surprising amount of trust in the accuracy of the face scanning tool, given some users may be banned if the process decides they look too young to be using the platform. Discord says that users who are verified incorrectly can retry the process or request a manual review, and that users who have been erroneously banned can appeal the decision.

Discord says the information submitted during this age verification experiment won’t be stored by the company or any of its vendors, regardless of what verification method you choose. “For Face Scan, the solution our vendor uses operates on-device, which means there is no collection of any biometric information when you scan your face,” says Discord. “For ID verification, the scan of your ID is deleted upon verification.”