If Government-issued ID is used, it cannot be stored past the length of time it takes to verify
That just reverses the circle of trust. If I can't trust the users not to lie about their age ("trust me, bro") in a DM, then the users can't trust me not to keep copies/sell their private information ("trust me, bro"). That's a super-flawed verification method.
Well, you did downvote the post, so it's a fair question in your specific case, @teft@lemmy.world. In case you are unaware, mods and admins can see votes.