Discord's Age Verification Experiment Raises Privacy Concerns

Discord's recent partnership with Persona, an identity detection firm backed by a fund directed by Palantir chairman Peter Thiel, has raised significant privacy concerns among UK users. The collaboration, described as an "experiment" involving people in the United Kingdom specifically, has users questioning the security of their personal data.

The "Experiment" Details

The age verification system rollout involves Persona storing user information on their servers for up to seven days. This contradicts Discord's earlier assurances that "identity documents submitted to our vendors are deleted quickly--in most cases, immediately after age confirmation." The company has not clarified what this "experiment" is supposed to explore or prove, leaving users in the dark about the purpose of extended data retention.

Discord's FAQ initially included a disclaimer stating: "If you're located in the UK, you may be part of an experiment where your information will be processed by an age-assurance vendor, Persona. The information you submit will be temporarily stored for up to 7 days, then deleted. For ID document verification, all details are blurred except your photo and date of birth, so only what's truly needed for age verification is used."

This disclaimer has since vanished from the site, though an archived version exists through the Wayback Machine.

Peter Thiel's Involvement

The connection to Peter Thiel through Founders Fund, which co-founded Persona and valued them at $1.5 billion in 2021, has intensified scrutiny. Thiel's involvement with Palantir, a company specializing in AI for government and military surveillance, has raised red flags for privacy-conscious users.

Palantir's controversial track record includes extensive work with the USA's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to track undocumented migrants, amid allegations of human rights breaches. The UK government has also commissioned Palantir to create a patient database for the NHS, despite significant opposition from medical professionals.

User Backlash

Discord users were already frustrated with the new "age assurance" system, which requires face scan videos and utilizes machine learning models. The revelation of Persona's involvement has intensified this frustration, with critical coverage appearing across major gaming publications including Kotaku, Eurogamer, and PCGamer.

The age verification system is already in force in the UK and Australia, with a global rollout beginning in early March. Users have shared screenshots of prompts to consent to Persona collecting their data, highlighting the invasive nature of the process.

Privacy Implications

The use of machine learning to check identities in the background, combined with Thiel's fingerprints on the project, has left many users uncomfortable. This concern is amplified by Discord's recent history of privacy breaches involving third parties.

While Persona claims that only essential information is used for age verification, with ID documents blurred except for photos and dates of birth, the seven-day storage period contradicts Discord's previous statements about immediate deletion of verification documents.

Broader Context

The involvement of Thiel-linked entities in identity verification raises questions about the intersection of tech surveillance and social platforms. With Palantir's UK division headed by Oswald Mosley's grandson, the project carries historical weight that extends beyond typical privacy concerns.

As Discord moves forward with its global age verification rollout, users are left wondering about the true cost of platform access and whether their personal data is being used as part of a larger surveillance infrastructure.

For now, UK Discord users find themselves unwitting participants in what the company calls an "experiment," with their personal information stored for up to seven days on servers operated by a firm with deep connections to controversial surveillance technologies and their backers.