Overview
- A phased rollout in early March will place all accounts into a teen-appropriate default, with adult verification required to unblur sensitive media, enter 18+ servers and channels, change certain safety settings, and speak on Stage.
- Users asked to verify can complete an on-device facial age estimation via video selfie or upload a government ID to third-party partners, and some accounts may be prompted to use multiple methods.
- Discord says video selfies do not leave the device, IDs sent to vendors are deleted quickly after confirmation, and verification status remains private, with the company receiving only an age result when checks occur.
- The company says a vast majority of adults will be assigned an age group via internal prediction models using account signals rather than private messages, reducing the need for explicit checks.
- The announcement has drawn user backlash and cancellation threats as critics cite a 2025 breach at a former vendor that exposed about 70,000 ID images, with groups such as EFF and EPIC warning about privacy risks even as other platforms like Roblox and YouTube adopt similar age checks.