Discord faces backlash over age checks after data breach exposed 70,000 IDs

Discord is encountering significant criticism after its announcement mandating all users to verify their ages in order to access adult content. This process requires users to upload video selfies or government-issued IDs. The platform claims it will utilize AI technology for age verification, which will assess users' facial features or match selfies against official IDs on their personal devices. Discord has assured users that this data will remain on their devices and will be deleted immediately after age estimation. In a recent blog post, Discord revealed plans for a global rollout of these age checks starting in early March. During this period, all users will automatically have their experiences set to 'teen-appropriate'. To access sensitive media or age-restricted channels, the majority of users will need to undergo this age estimation process. While most users will only need to verify their ages once, some may be required to provide additional verification methods if necessary. The announcement has sparked alarm among users on social media, with many expressing distrust towards Discord after a recent security breach. In October, hackers compromised a third-party service that Discord had previously relied on, stealing the government IDs of approximately 70,000 users from the UK and Australia. Following the incident, Discord informed users that the attackers aimed to extort a ransom using the stolen data. Security experts have advised those who submitted IDs to treat their information as potentially compromised and at risk of being sold or used in extortion attempts.