Tech News Weekly 424: Face Scans on Discord?

Date: February 13, 2026
Hosts: Micah Sargent, Amanda Silberling
Guests: Emma Roth (The Verge), Scott Stein (CNET)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into several current tech stories and debates:

• A new AI-driven dating app aiming to improve online dating for Stanford students
• Meta (owner of Instagram) in court for allegedly addicting young users
• Discord’s controversial new age verification policy using face scans/ID
• Nintendo’s quirky return to retro gaming accessories and a Mario-inspired talking flower

Discussions are framed by thoughtful critiques, first-person experiences, and expert interviews, providing insight into pressing questions at the intersection of technology, privacy, society, and user experience.

Segment 1: Stanford Student’s AI-optimized Dating App

Starts: [02:01]

Key Points

• Amanda Silberling highlights “Date Drop,” a new AI-powered dating app from a Stanford grad student, Henry Wang, aiming to provide just one curated match per week to users based on compatibility.
• Contrasts “Date Drop” with the broader landscape of dating apps, where 78% of users express disillusionment (Forbes) due to overload, low satisfaction, and “swipe fatigue.”
• Draws parallels to a previous app, Marriage Pact, also from Stanford, based on detailed surveys and matching algorithms rooted in economics.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Amanda Silberling [02:01]:
  “Nobody likes dating apps... So, I joke about like, oh, there’s a Stanford student with a startup. Whoa. But this actually, to me, makes a lot of sense… There’s clearly room to build on it.”

• Amanda shares a quirky anecdote about the founder taking a class called “Intro to Clown,” promising exclusive coverage in her upcoming article.

• Micah points to today’s “toxic productivity” and the challenge of finding social time, especially for high-achieving students who may be socially awkward:
  “Everybody’s busy. So I’m not surprised at this opportunity to optimize the getting to know you system…” [08:17]

Discussion

• The conversation acknowledges both the tech-bro culture that often surrounds “optimization” and the potential for genuinely improving connections and reducing social friction, particularly for busy and socially anxious students.
• Amanda notes that logistical challenges—like actually setting up a date—are still major hurdles, even with improved matches:
  “Going on a date with a stranger seems so unappealing. So that’s a problem that just humans have to solve.” [12:34]

Segment 2: Meta’s Landmark Youth Addiction Trial

Starts: [16:40]

Key Points

• Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri recently took the stand in LA federal court, defending Meta in a lawsuit alleging intentional design of addictive features targeting young users.
• Mosseri drew a distinction between “habit-forming” and “clinically addictive,” likening Instagram’s appeal to that of “a good television show.”
• Plaintiffs’ lawyers cited internal documents indicating Meta ignored warnings about features (e.g., beauty filters) that allegedly harmed youth mental health, particularly young women.

Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Adam Mosseri (as quoted by Micah) [19:18]:
  “There’s always trade off between safety and speech. We’re trying to be as safe as possible and censor as little as possible.”

• Amanda Silberling [22:12]:
  “It’s like heartbreaking—the Onion article—’the worst person you know just made a good point.’ He’s not [the worst person], but... there is a big difference between something like tobacco that chemically, biologically addicts you, whereas with social media... people are not having withdrawals in the same way.”

Discussion

• Both hosts recognize the nuance between “addiction” and negative societal impacts. Amanda emphasizes greater societal pressure to be on social media: “We have created a society where not being on social media means that you have less opportunities to socialize in a lot of cases.” [22:59]
• Amanda advocates for better parental controls and acknowledges broad, decades-long evidence of social media’s harm—especially for teens. The outcome of this lawsuit could signal new legal precedents for tech accountability.

Segment 3: Discord’s Global Age Verification Rollout (Interview with Emma Roth, The Verge)

Starts: [28:39]

What’s Changing

• Discord will soon require some users to verify age via a face scan or government ID to access all platform features, or else be restricted to a “teen account.”
• Determination relies on a machine learning age estimation model considering account tenure and activity (but not message content).
• Most users supposedly won’t need to verify, but skepticism remains.

Industry Context & Comparison

• Other platforms—Reddit, Bluesky, Xbox—use similar processes mainly in response to regulatory pressure (UK, Australia).
• Companies like Google, YouTube, Instagram rely on AI age prediction models, assigning “teen” accounts as needed.

Community Backlash & Concerns

• Massive user pushback focuses on privacy, data security, and memories of Discord’s 2023 data breach, which exposed some uploaded IDs.

• Emma explains:
  “Anytime you put your personal information or submit it anywhere online, it definitely is... It does raise some alarm bells...” [32:31]

• Discord—and the wider industry—outsource ID checks to third-party vendors, further compounding privacy fears.

Effectiveness & Outlook

• Electronic Privacy Information Center and other advocacy organizations stress that app design/social features do more to enhance safety than strict age verification.

• Emma:
  “It’s better to just make the app... in a way that reduces harm using design... Age verification wouldn’t be necessary if we did have those protections in place by default.” [35:32]

• The episode closes with speculation that “age gating” and identity checks will become more common, with Emma noting even OpenAI uses similar models with ChatGPT.

Segment 4: Nintendo’s Virtual Boy Revival and Mario Talking Flower (Interview with Scott Stein, CNET)

Starts: [41:40]

Virtual Boy Accessory

• Nintendo re-releases a retro “Virtual Boy” visor accessory for the Switch—faithfully re-creating its infamous, short-lived red-and-black 3D tabletop “VR” experience from 1995.
• Scott describes its “weirdly comforting” simplicity, likening it to sticking your head into a museum exhibit or Nickelodeon-style 3D viewers:
  “If you ever go to like a museum... you’re putting your head in, and the goggles are wide enough... you’re looking at this weird kind of black with red kind of Tron-like graphic retro graphics...” [43:15]
• The $100 accessory ($25 for the cardboard version) is positioned as a niche collector’s item.

Game Experience

• Offers access to a library of obscure, experimental Nintendo titles:
  “If you want to play retro Nintendo games, here are like 14 that you have probably never played.” [46:47]

Is Nintendo Experimenting?

• Micah wonders if this represents product R&D/test-driving, or just Nintendo’s “quirky” brand in action. Scott replies:
  “It must be a bit of both... As much as they like to explore things you go ‘why did they do this?’ It does feel like they’re kicking tires on this idea.” [47:40]
• Nintendo’s other playful tech forays (Mario Kart AR, Labo VR, theme parks) reflect a Disney-like expansion of brand and experience touchpoints.

Talking Flower Toy

• Nintendo also unveils a $35 “talking flower” inspired by Super Mario Wonder—essentially a (not strictly functional) interactive ambient gadget.
  “It may give you the time, but it may not be accurate. ...It might say it's 9 o'clock and no, sorry, it's 10.” [54:13]
• Scott suggests these “collectible home products” signal Nintendo’s expansion beyond gaming into themed experiences and merchandise—a la Disney.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Amanda Silberling on Dating App Innovation:
  “This is AI, but make it human.” [02:01]
• Micah Sargent on Platform Optimization:
  “If there’s something that can sort of ease that part of it, I think that’s cool as long as it’s authentic.” [10:12]
• Amanda Silberling on Societal Pressure:
  “Not being on social media means... less opportunities to socialize in a lot of cases.” [22:59]
• Emma Roth on Privacy Risks:
  “Anytime you put your personal information or submit it anywhere online, it definitely... raises alarm bells.” [32:31]
• Scott Stein on Nintendo’s Approach:
  “Nintendo seems to keep revisiting this VR/AR space every once in a while... I wonder if they’re trying to kick the tires on how comfortable the experience is and how shareable.” [47:40]

Key Timestamps for Main Segments

• [02:01] – Stanford Dating App: “Date Drop” and AI matchmaking
• [16:40] – Instagram/Meta Addiction Lawsuit and Adam Mosseri’s Defense
• [28:39] – Discord’s Face Scan Age Verification (Interview with Emma Roth)
• [41:40] – Nintendo Virtual Boy Revival and Mario Talking Flower (Interview with Scott Stein)

Tone & Style

The episode is engaging, informed, conversational, and blends critical reflection with humor. Both hosts and guests are deeply familiar with their subjects, offering both expert analysis and personal, relatable anecdotes.

Summary

Tech News Weekly 424 provides smart, accessible insight into the evolving intersections of AI-driven social products (from dating apps to ID checks), digital safety and privacy, legal battles over tech’s impact on youth, and gaming innovation/nostalgia. For anyone interested in the state of tech culture in early 2026, this episode’s thoughtful interviews and lively debates offer a window into the topics that matter most.