Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Discord to Default All Accounts to Teen Settings Globally, Requiring Age Proof for Adult Access Starting in March

Verification will rely on on-device selfie checks or ID uploads, a choice under fresh scrutiny after a 2025 vendor data leak.

Overview

  • A phased global rollout begins in early March, placing all new and existing accounts into a teen-appropriate experience until users are confirmed as adults.
  • Unverified users will see sensitive media blurred and cannot access 18+ channels or servers, alter message-request settings, or speak on Stage channels.
  • Adults can prove age through facial age estimation via a video selfie processed on-device or by submitting a government ID to vendor partners, with some cases requiring multiple methods.
  • Discord says IDs are deleted quickly by vendors, verification status remains private, and an age inference model will run in the background to reduce active checks.
  • Privacy concerns and user backlash have intensified after Discord disclosed in October 2025 that about 70,000 users’ ID photos were exposed in a third-party vendor breach.