Hajra Naz
Discord says it will begin rolling out age verification worldwide starting early March. Once the change goes live, every user will be placed into a teen-friendly experience by default.
Unless they prove otherwise.
In simple terms, adults will need to verify their age to unlock certain settings and access age-restricted content. Everyone else stays limited.
What will users notice first?
For users who don’t verify, the platform will feel tighter almost immediately.
Sensitive images remain blurred. Age-restricted servers and channels won’t be accessible. Some app commands won’t work. And a handful of settings? Locked.
Messages from people you don’t already know will also land in a separate inbox by default. Only verified adults can change that.
Even speaking onstage in some servers is restricted to adults. No workaround.
How Discord plans to verify age
To confirm they’re adults, users will be asked to choose one of two options.
The first is facial age estimation, which requires a short video selfie. Discord says this process happens entirely on the device and that the video never leaves it.
The second option is submitting a government-issued ID through one of Discord’s verification partners.
Discord claims those IDs are deleted quickly. In many cases, immediately after age confirmation.
That said, some users may be asked to complete more than one method if the system needs additional information to assign an age group.
Not ideal, but that’s the plan.
Read More: WhatsApp Introduces Game-Changing Voice Chat for Large Groups, Similar to Discord
Privacy concerns aren’t going away
This is where things get uncomfortable.
Last October, Discord revealed that around 70,000 users may have had sensitive data exposed after hackers breached a third-party vendor used for age-related appeals. Some of that data reportedly included government ID images.
That incident still looms large.
Digital rights advocates have repeatedly warned that age checks, while framed as safety tools, can create new risks if handled poorly. Discord insists its current system minimizes exposure. Still, trust doesn’t reset overnight.
Why Discord says this is necessary
According to Discord, the goal isn’t restriction for its own sake. It’s safety — particularly for teens.
“Rolling out teen-by-default settings globally builds on Discord’s existing safety architecture,” said Savannah Badalich, the company’s head of product policy. The idea, she says, is to protect younger users while giving verified adults more flexibility.
Discord also says it will continue working with safety experts, policymakers, and its community as the system expands.
That sounds good on paper. Whether users buy it is another question.
Discord isn’t acting alone
This move fits into a much broader trend.
Roblox recently introduced mandatory facial verification for access to certain chat features. YouTube rolled out age-estimation tools in the U.S. last year to better identify teen users. Other platforms are experimenting quietly with similar systems.
Governments are pushing. Platforms are responding. Users are stuck in the middle.
Read More: Discord’s Family Center Now Monitors Weekly Spending of Kids
When the changes take effect
Discord says the global rollout will begin in early March. Both new and existing users will be affected.
If you want full access to age-restricted content, you’ll need to verify. No exceptions.
For better or worse, age verification is becoming part of the internet’s new normal.
At least for now.
