Science & technology

TeamSpeak Demand Surges as Discord Rolls Out Age Verification

Can age verification protect both privacy and safety or does it fail to safeguard children while creating new risks?

Published FEB 19

TeamSpeak Demand Surges as Discord Rolls Out Age Verification

Story

Above: Photo illustration of the Discord logo displayed on a smartphone and a computer screen in Athens, Greece, on April 17, 2024. Image credit: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Facts

The online voice chat application TeamSpeak has reported a significant increase in demand following rival platform Discord's announcement that it will implement age verification for all users globally.
Forbes
PC Gamer
TechRadar
Discord's age verification policy requires users to either submit a form of identification or complete a facial scan to access sensitive content, enter age-restricted channels, access servers and commands or change certain settings.
Discord
In a blog post, the company claimed that the policy was necessary to "support meaningful, long term wellbeing for teens on the platform" and protects users' privacy through security features such as on-device processing and fast ID deletion.
Discord
Discord also unveiled a new Discord Teen Council, a 10 to 12-member body to advise the platform on "what teens need, how they build meaningful connections, and what makes them feel safe and supported online."
Discord
Despite this, TeamSpeak announced several days later that it was experiencing an "incredible surge of new users joining TeamSpeak," with the company reaching its maximum hosting capacity in "many regions, especially in the United States."
TeamSpeak on X
Media outlets have speculated that the spike was fueled by Discord users migrating to TeamSpeak to avoid the former's age-verification system. TeamSpeak, meanwhile, created two new servers, Frankfurt 3 and Toronto 1, to accommodate the rising demand for its services.
IGN
Club386
TeamSpeak on X

Sources Split

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The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

When designed correctly, age verification can protect privacy and online safety. Advanced cryptographic solutions, for example, enable platforms to confirm a user’s age without revealing their details. The real choice, therefore, is not between safety and privacy, but between biometric data collection by private companies versus accurate methods that preserve anonymity.

NYU Stern Center for Business & Human Rights

The Conversation

Techno-skeptic narrative

Age verification methods fail because they simultaneously create massive privacy risks while failing to protect children. The constant threat of data breaches means these strategies inevitably put users' details at risk, while tech-savvy teenagers either circumvent the restrictions entirely or migrate to more dangerous and less regulated parts of the digital world.