Whenever we hear about laws to protect children, it usually has a more nefarious reason. Age verification is the law of the world at this moment. The United Kingdom is pushing their own. Other countries have placed age restrictions on who can go on social media. Texas had their plan blocked by a judge at the beginning of the year. Discord is rolling out their own version in March.

For most of 2025, Discord has been running “tests” on the plan. However, in March, the company will make it mandatory for all users. You have three options on the site. One, you can have your face scanned. The scan will determine if you are over the age of 18. We assume that it will use some sort of AI to calculate how old you are. Some will say, “you use your face to unlock your phone.” Yeah, but the image stays locally on your device.

Two, you can upload your ID. As some will find the first option creepy, I think the second option is worse. Your ID will contain so much more personal information about yourself. Like address, personal details, and date of birth. All of which are used in stolen identity crimes.

Discord Will Require Age Verification All Day, Every Day

Lastly, you can decline to partake in either two options. Which they claim is cool. However, you’ll be locked into a “teen-appropriate experience”. That means content filters, age gates, the inability to speak in “stage channels“— channels that enable a group of people to converse while an audience listens—and restrictions on direct message and friend requests.

“Nowhere is our safety work more important than when it comes to teen users, which is why we are announcing these updates in time for Safer Internet Day,” Discord head of product policy Savannah Badalich said. “Rolling out teen-by-default settings globally builds on Discord’s existing safety architecture, giving teens strong protections while allowing verified adults flexibility.”

While both political parties want to look good protecting child, they gloss over the user protection. Now, keep in mind that when I said “both political parties” are fighting for the safety of our children, one protects those who harm our children more.

Age verification is more about collecting data than protection. Many sites used date-of-birth questions, but Republicans push child safety as a reason – which isn’t the case at all. It is about control and collecting data. With this administration, they will definitely use it against its citizens. I mean, they murder their own. What makes you think they won’t blackmail you?