Summary
Discord, a popular social media site, is testing a new system that uses face scanning to check the age of users in the UK and Australia. These checks are in response to new laws that require websites with content for adults to have reliable ways to confirm the age of their users by July.
Key Facts
- Discord is testing age checks through face scanning in the UK and Australia.
- Discord started for gamers, but now hosts different kinds of groups, including ones for adults.
- The law in the UK says websites with adult content must have good ways to check users' ages by July.
- Privacy campaigners, however, think these checks won't work and could cause privacy problems.
- The new system asks users to scan their face or upload their ID card photo to prove their age the first time they come across adult content.
- Discord says it will not collect or keep the users' face scans or ID card photos.
- A group called Big Brother Watch warns the age check technology could lead to issues like security breaches and privacy violations.
- Australia plans to ban social media for children under 16 years old this year.
