[pil0u]

I agree that government legislation is part of the equation, but I don't agree that moving to other platforms is not a solution. If Discord were to witness a significant exodus of paying users because of this new verification process, they would probably start fighting the fight themselves.

That said, I don't expect this to happen, switching is very hard for many reasons.

[ozlikethewizard]

This is it. Governments dont care when the peasants gripe. But hit the corps in the wallet and youll see some actual pressure exerted.

[luke727]

I meant that it's not a solution for users looking to avoid similar intrusions. When alternative platforms get big enough they'll be faced with the same legislative burdens. Of course there are decentralized options, but one of the primary attractions of these centralized services is that everyone's on there.

[nine_k]

The point is that the alternative platforms should be small per-community chat servers run by their users. A one-click installation on a $5/mo web host like DO or Vultr or similar. Good luck policing them away.

[luke727]

The problem is that this is too tedious for most people. There's a reason centralization is popular.

[nine_k]

If people are actively driven away (as in unable to pass the age check), the incentive becomes stronger.