On February 9, Discord announced it would roll out its controversial age verification measures to all users around the world starting in early March. Discord claimed that the upcoming measure would enhance age-appropriate protections while maintaining user privacy, and added that the global rollout would be done in phases.
In the years following its 2015 launch, Discord has become the top voice and text communications app for gamers across the globe. Along with hosting servers for player-run groups to come together, Discord is also used by some game developers to communicate with their audience and answer questions from players. Discord is widely available on all modern devices, including desktop and mobile apps that are constantly updated with new features and bug fixes. Although not every Discord feature has been a hit with users, that has not stopped it from continuing to evolve over time.
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Discord to Roll Out Controversial Age Verification Measure Globally
Soon, all Discord users will soon be affected by a change that had previously been introduced in specific parts of the world. Discord announced in a blog post that, starting in early March, all users would be set to a "teen-by-default" status as part of an age verification protection measure. In 2025, Discord rolled out similar age verification measures in the UK and Australia to comply with laws that were passed in those countries. Once the measure is implemented, all new and existing Discord users will be given new default settings that filter out some pieces of content, including server-specific channels and features marked with an age restriction warning.
Discord users can turn off this setting by submitting a facial scan or a form of identification to its vendor partners. This can be done using on-device processing via Discord's desktop or mobile apps, and the process would only need to be done once for Discord to adapt its user experience to the correct age group. However, some users may be requested to submit more information via multiple methods if necessary.
However, Discord's age verification measures in the UK proved unpopular with users. Additionally, Discord's age verification technology was thwarted by clever users who used Death Stranding's photo feature to bypass the system. In response, Discord swapped vendors, and stated that the upcoming measure would not store any submitted documents for a long period of time. Discord said that any "identity documents submitted to our vendor partners are deleted quickly." It is currently unknown which vendor partners DIscord has chosen for its age verification measures.
Discord's Shaky History With User Data
Response to Discord's age verification announcement has been largely negative on social media, with some users stating they would cancel their Discord Nitro subscriptions over the measure. Additionally, some users expressed concerns over how Discord would handle any data collected during the age verification process, and pointed out Discord's history of consumer data breaches. In October 2025, Discord confirmed that a third-party customer service agency was hacked, and that usernames, limited billing information, and even IP addresses were among the sensitive data included in the breach. Discord stated that it stopped the affected third-party platform from accessing further records, and contacted affected users via email.
As of this writing, users may send feedback on the age verification measure to Discord through its official website and social media pages. With Discord reportedly resuming its continued efforts for an initial public offering (IPO), the timing of the age verification rollout was also pointed out by users on social media. As negative feedback continues to be submitted in response to the age verification measure, it remains to be seen if the popular communications app will reverse course, or if Discord will continue with its planned rollout.