Now Discord Says It’s Delaying Global Age Verification.
Since its announcement just over a week ago, Discord’s rollout of a global age verification system has been beset by several challenges. First, the chat and voice service provider had to clarify that it would not require all adults to upload ID or scan their faces for age verification, as the initial announcement had led many users to believe. Second, the announcement came shortly after a hack of one of its existing customer support partners, which resulted in hackers accessing user information, including government-issued IDs provided for age verification. Third, users discovered that Discord had partnered with Peter Thiel-backed Persona on a UK experiment, raising concerns about surveillance and security and revealing that some personal information was being uploaded to the cloud when users believed it would be processed on-device. Discord has now acknowledged its mistake and is attempting to rectify the situation.
In a post on its website titled “Getting Global Age Verification Right: What We Got Wrong and What’s Changing,” Discord acknowledged that its new “teen by default” age setting had not been well-received. The company stated that it “knew this implementation would be controversial,” but added that “we failed our most fundamental task: clearly explaining what we’re doing and why.” It then reiterated that “over 90% of users will never need to verify their age to continue using Discord exactly as they do today,” while still insisting on providing “real protections” for teen users. However, in addition to trying to minimize the damage, the company also stated that it would delay the global rollout of age verification and would make specific changes to address user concerns.
How Discord’s global age verification is changing
As a result, Discord is making the following changes to its controversial global age verification system:
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The introduction of the global age verification system will be delayed from March to the “second half of 2026.” Until then, age verification will only be implemented in regions where it is required by law, such as the UK and Australia.
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At launch, Discord will provide a list of all age verification providers it partners with and information about their practices.
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All age verification partners will only offer face scanning directly on the device.
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Before launching global age verification, Discord will develop alternative age verification methods beyond facial scanning or ID, such as credit card information. However, such methods may be prohibited by law in some regions, such as Australia, the UK, and Brazil.
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Discord will add a spoiler-hiding channel feature to communities, eliminating the need to use age-restricted channels to hide age-appropriate but still sensitive content. This will allow users who haven’t passed age verification to access these channels.
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Once the age verification system is launched, the company will publish a technical blog detailing how it works and will update its ongoing transparency reports with age verification metrics, including the number of users who have been asked to verify their age and the verification methods they use.
Essentially, the idea is that if you’re an adult Discord user (and live in a region where this is allowed, which Discord says may not be the case everywhere), Discord will likely be able to use factors like your email address when you signed up, your account age, and your activity history to determine your age. In this case, you’ll automatically be assigned to the appropriate age group and can continue using the app as normal. Otherwise, you’ll be assigned to a teen and will need to verify your age by scanning your face, providing government-issued ID, or using one of Discord’s new alternative methods. Or, you can continue using the app without verification, but you’ll lose access to age-restricted channels and any content Discord deems inappropriate enough to block you.
Why does Discord care so much about my age?
In this regard, Discord’s ultimate goals have remained largely unchanged, with the company acknowledging that “we know many of you feel the right decision would be to not do this at all.” However, Discord also stated that it is forced to do so in regions like the UK, Australia, and Brazil, with “Europe and several US states following closely behind.” By scaling age verification globally, Discord states that it wants to “show regulators that it is possible to verify age without collecting personal data,” further stating that “we don’t need to know who you are. We just need to know if you are an adult.”
To be fair, this still seems to imply some knowledge of users’ identities, as you’ll still have to provide some personal information for verification or rely on Discord’s age-verification feature, which will collect information to estimate your age in the background. But as a gesture of good faith, Discord acknowledged its “experiment” with Persona and that Persona’s off-device facial scanning doesn’t comply with its privacy requirements.
What happens next remains unclear. Discord has made many promises, but now it must fulfill them. The company hasn’t set a firm timeline for implementing age verification, so it’s possible that in regions where it’s not required by law, the rollout may be further delayed. However, Discord is also planning an IPO this spring . Confidence and a satisfied user base will likely please investors, but it will likely also mean the need to reassure regulators and concerned parents. Compromises are to be expected, especially given that Discord has already faced criticism for previously allowing teens access to sensitive material and adult conversations.