Starting in early March, the platform will place every account into a default “teen-appropriate” experience unless it has proof that users are adults.
The move has brought widespread criticism from Discord users, who are citing privacy and security concerns following a recent breach of a third-party vendor that ended up exposing around 70,000 government ID images used to verify the age of Discord users.
The age restrictions for Discord were implemented already in my country a few months ago, that’s why I know it works that way
For what it’s worth, I’m a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and online grooming, and IMO this policy does not make vulnerable kids any safer at all. As a kid, growing up, I was desperate for any validation and even kindness because of my neglectful/abusive home situation and that need was exploited by adults who provided me the emotional connection I needed/wanted, which was then twisted into a romantic/sexual relationship. That’s the risk, and all it needs is a basic chat functionality - once it has started, the groomer can very easily “help” the young person bypass any and all “protections” through any number of methods, including just switching to another platform.
The reality is that most kids are far more at danger from abusive adults in their lives - their parents, family, friends, teachers, etc. - than they are at danger from the Internet. The reason I was vulnerable to abuse online is because I was already abused IRL. If you (or anyone) has concerns about their kids safety online, by far the best thing you can do is just to be there for them, be a trustworthy, kind and loving adult in their lives. That way, when creeps online talk to them, they won’t be needy for the attention, they won’t be vulnerable, and if something makes them uncomfortable, they’ll come and talk to you about it.
Anyways, went off on kind of a tangent, but I hope it’s helpful/informative anyways.