February 9th, difference of opinion In early March, it announced it was rolling out its controversial age verification measures to all users around the world. Discord claimed that the upcoming measure will enhance age-appropriate protections while maintaining user privacy, and added that the global rollout will be done in phases.
In the years since its 2015 launch, Discord has become the top voice and text communication app for gamers around the world. Along with hosting servers for player-run groups to come together, some game developers use Discord to communicate with their audience and answer player questions. 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 hasn't stopped it from evolving over time.
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Disagreement to roll out controversial age verification measure globally
Soon, all Discord users will soon be affected by the change which was previously introduced in specific parts of the world. Discord announced in a blog post that, beginning in March, all users will be set to “teen-by-default” status as part of age verification security measures. In 2025, Discord rolled out similar age verification measures in the UK and Australia to comply with laws passed in those countries. Once the measure is implemented, all new and existing Discord users will be given new default settings that filter certain 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 form of identification to Facial Scan or its vendor partners. This can be done using on-device processing via Discord's desktop or mobile apps, and Discord only has to do the process once to tailor its user experience to the right age group. However, some users may be requested to submit additional information through 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 Death StrandingPhoto feature to bypass the system. In response, Discord swapped vendors, and said the upcoming move would no longer store any submitted documents. Discord said that “any identifying documents submitted to our vendor partners are quickly deleted.” It is currently unknown which vendor partners DIscord has chosen for its age verification measures.
Discord's volatile history with user data
Reaction to Discord's age verification announcement has been largely negative on social media, with some users saying they will cancel their Discord Nitro memberships in the measure. Additionally, some users expressed concern about how Discord would handle any data collected during the age verification process, and pointed to Discord's history of consumer data breaches. In October 2025, Discord confirmed that a third-party customer service agency had been hacked, and that sensitive data including usernames, limited billing information, and IP addresses were included in the breach. Discord said it blocked the affected third-party platform from accessing further records, and contacted affected users via email.
As of this writing, users can send feedback on the age verification measure to Discord via its official website and social media pages. With Discord reportedly resuming its ongoing efforts for an initial public offering (IPO), the timing of the age verification rollout was also pointed out by users on social media. As the age verification measure continues to receive negative feedback, it remains to be seen if the popular communication app will reverse course, or if Discord will continue with its planned rollout.
