Discord will soon require users worldwide to verify their age before accessing adult content. Users must confirm their age with a face scan or upload an official ID document. The chat platform says it has more than 200 million monthly users.
Discord says the new safety system will place everyone into a teen-appropriate experience by default. The platform already requires age checks in the UK and Australia to comply with online safety laws. Discord will roll out the system globally from early March.
Savannah Badalich, Discord’s policy head, said teen safety remains central to the company’s strategy. She said teen-by-default settings will strengthen protections while allowing verified adults more flexibility.
Default restrictions will reshape content access and communication
Discord says the default settings will restrict what users can see and how they communicate. Only verified adults will access age-restricted communities and unblur sensitive material.
Users will also lose the ability to view direct messages from unknown users unless they complete age verification. Drew Benvie, head of social media consultancy Battenhall, said the move toward safer communities is positive. He warned that the rollout could face challenges across millions of communities.
He said Discord could lose users if the system backfires. He added that stronger safety standards could attract users who want platforms designed with safety in mind.
Discord will estimate user age through account signals
Discord said it will use inference tools to identify users who are likely adults. Badalich said most adults will not need manual verification. She said the system will analyze account tenure, device data, activity patterns, and aggregated community signals.
She said Discord will not analyze private messages or message content during the process.
Privacy worries and previous verification data exposure
Users can upload an ID photo or record a video selfie for AI-based age estimation. Discord said it will not store information used for age checks. The company said it will not collect face scans and will delete ID uploads after verification.
Privacy campaigners warned that such methods can threaten personal privacy. Discord faced criticism in October after hackers potentially exposed ID photos of about 70,000 users. A third-party verification firm suffered the breach.
IPO ambitions and growing pressure on social platforms
The announcement followed reports in early January that Discord explored a public share offering. The company also launched a teen advisory council as part of its safety strategy.
Discord now follows platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Roblox with similar teen safety measures. Benvie said other social networks will closely watch how users respond to Discord’s rollout.
Social platforms introduced many protections for teens due to pressure from lawmakers. Discord CEO Jason Citron faced intense questioning about child safety at a US Senate hearing in 2024, alongside leaders from Meta, Snap, and TikTok.
