Discord has announced plans to roll out age verification globally starting next month, placing all users into a “teen-appropriate experience” by default unless they verify that they are adults.
Under the new policy, users will be required to confirm their age to access age-restricted content, unblur sensitive material or change certain privacy settings. Only verified adults will be able to access age-restricted servers, speak on stage in servers and modify message filtering options.
To verify age, users will need to complete a facial age estimation or submit a government-issued ID to Discord’s vendor partners. The company said facial age estimation videos do not leave users’ devices, while submitted IDs are deleted shortly after verification.
Discord acknowledged concerns about privacy, particularly after disclosing last year that around 70,000 users may have had sensitive data exposed following a breach at a third-party vendor handling age-related appeals.
The company said additional verification options will be introduced over time and that some users may be required to use multiple methods if more information is needed.
“Rolling out teen-by-default settings globally builds on Discord’s existing safety architecture,” said Savannah Badalich, Discord’s head of product policy. “We design our products with teen safety principles at the core.”
The move follows similar actions by platforms including Roblox and YouTube, reflecting growing global pressure on tech companies to strengthen child safety protections.
Discord’s global age-verification rollout will begin in early March and apply to both new and existing users.
