Discord’s age verification mandate is a leap toward a gated internet

Discord is about to force some of the people who use its messaging app to make a choice: Use the platform with restricted features, or prove their age. It’s a move that platforms have been slowly approaching, but Discord’s teen-by-default rollout is a stronger clampdown that could offer a glimpse at an age-gated future on the web worldwide.

Starting next month, users who don’t verify their age using a face scan or government ID will no longer be able to access age-restricted servers and channels, can’t speak in Discord’s “stage” channels, and will see filters for any content deemed graphic or sensitive, among other restrictions. They will o …