Irritations with Discord
My disdain for Discord burns as intense as a supernova plunging into a black hole. The clutter of tabs and voice channels annoys me, as do the frequent cybersecurity breaches. The overuse of Discord for virtual press events frustrates me, along with the never-ending updates required. The loading screen trivia and service messages only add to my irritation. And don’t even get me started on the “empathy banana” and weird loading screen characters.
Furthermore, Discord’s assumption that I am a “teen-by-default” and the subsequent restrictions placed on my access without age verification bother me. While I understand the need for safety measures, the new age-assured approach seems a bit invasive. The reported incidents of child grooming and exploitation on Discord have led to this stricter verification process, which includes an age inference model to determine account ownership.
Discord has faced scrutiny for its role in facilitating criminal activities, such as sexual abuse and exploitation. Cases of kidnapping, grooming, and sharing of illegal content have been linked to the platform, leading to legal action and investigations. The platform’s new age verification system aims to create a safer environment for users over the age of 13.
Amidst increasing pressure on digital platforms to regulate explicit content, Discord is implementing age verification measures for certain settings and content access. Users will have to undergo facial age estimation or submit identification to verify their age group. Privacy protections are in place to ensure that users’ information remains secure.
Discord’s upcoming default settings will require all users to be age assured to access sensitive content, age-restricted channels, and participate in certain features. The platform is also forming a Teen Council to gather insights from teenagers on online safety and connectivity.
As Discord prepares to roll out these changes in early March, users can expect a more regulated and secure experience on the platform. Whether these measures will effectively address the issues of safety and privacy remains to be seen.
