After Discord fiasco, age-check tech promises privacy by running locally. Does it work?
On-device face scans and cross-platform age keys decrease privacy risks, but trust issues abound.
Last month, Discord quickly backpedaled after it announced that an age-verification system would roll out globally.
Discord's reversal followed a widespread user backlash, which also intensified scrutiny of the platform's age-check partners. Suddenly, these often-overlooked players in the "age-assurance" ecosystem had to defend their tech or risk losing major contracts.
The whole saga shone a harsh spotlight on the current problems with age-verification tech—and on the technical solutions aiming to make the whole process both secure and private.