A new Discord Teen Safety Assist initiative is aiming to make the group chat platform a safer place for teenage users – in part, replicating an iMessage feature announced by Apple two years ago …
Discord Teen Safety Assist
Discord announced the new initiative, alongside clearer feedback for those who break any of the platform’s rules.
Safety continues to be a top commitment for us and we’re excited to share more about upcoming features that further protect our users.
As part of this commitment we are launching Teen Safety Assist, a new initiative to protect teens through a series of proactive filters and alerts, which will be default enabled for teens.
The company said that it is initially rolling out two features, with more to follow.
Safety alerts on senders
First, Discord will note when a teenage user receives a direct message from someone they haven’t chatted with before. It will then determine whether or not to send a safety alert to the recipient.
Unsurprisingly, the company isn’t revealing what criteria will be applied in deciding whether or not to trigger the alert. If one is triggered, then Discord will “encourage the recipient to double check if they want to reply.” It will also provide links to block the sender, and to view safety tips.
Sensitive content filters
If Discord detects that a direct message contains an image “that may be sensitive,” it will automatically blur it. Recipients will be able to opt to unblur the photo, but will be advised to use caution in doing so.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because it replicates an iMessage child safety feature announced by Apple back in 2021, alongside the controversial and ultimately abandoned CSAM scanning plan.
More features to follow
The company says that the safety features will roll out globally over the next few weeks, and it plans to add others next year.
Discord warning system
The company says it is also being more transparent about what happens when users break the platform’s rules.
For most infringements, users will initially receive a direct message from Discord. This will tell them which rule they broke, and whether they are receiving a warning or a violation. In the case of a violation, they will be told what action Discord has taken.
Either way, a link will be provided to a detailed explanation, together with details of the exact rule broken.
The company emphasizes that some infringements will still result in an immediate ban.
For example, we have and will continue to have a zero-tolerance policy towards violent extremism and content that sexualises children.
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