Discord Delays Global Age Verification to 2026 After Privacy Backlash

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Discord has delayed the worldwide launch of its age verification system until sometime in 2026. This decision comes after several weeks of feedback raising concerns about user privacy and how the system handles personal data.

Starting in March, Discord planned to automatically put all new users into a special, safer version of the app designed for teenagers. This would remain the default setting until users confirmed they were 16 or older. If Discord couldn’t verify a user’s age, they would have needed to estimate it using facial recognition technology or provide a photo ID through a trusted partner.

The announcement was immediately met with strong criticism. Users said the new verification rule would make them stop using the platform, and many started looking for other options. As a result, Discord announced a delay in launching the changes worldwide. They haven’t announced a firm date, only saying it will happen sometime in the latter half of 2026.

On Tuesday, the company’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Stanislav Vishnevskiy, responded to the criticism in a blog post.

We anticipated this launch would spark debate,” Vishnevskiy explained. “Changes to how people verify their identities naturally raise strong reactions, and rightfully so. Looking back, we realize we should have been more transparent about our goals and explained the process more clearly.

Okay, so Discord just let us all know that the vast majority of us – like, 90% or more – won’t even have to go through age verification. We can just keep using Discord like normal. They’re saying only a small number of us – less than 10% – will actually be asked to prove our age once the system is up and running. That’s a relief!

With over 200 million people using the platform each month, the company estimates users’ ages using its own internal systems. These systems look at things like how long an account has been open, if a payment method is saved, what communities a user is part of, and their overall account behavior. The company emphasizes that it doesn’t read messages or review posts to figure out someone’s age.

Okay, so if I don’t verify, I’ll still be able to get into my account, play on my servers, and chat with my friends – everything will work as normal! The only thing is, I won’t be able to see any content that’s meant for older users, and I won’t be able to customize some of the safety features that are there to help protect younger players. Basically, it keeps things safe for everyone, but limits what I can access if I don’t verify.

Discord is pausing its worldwide launch of age verification, but will still put it in place in countries where it’s legally mandated, like Australia, Brazil, and the UK. This is due to new and upcoming rules about how young people access social media in those places, as well as in the European Union and parts of the United States.

Security problems increased worries about Discord’s safety. In October, Discord revealed that a cyberattack on one of its vendors likely exposed the ID photos of about 70,000 users. These photos were collected when users previously verified their age. Discord has since ended its partnership with that vendor.

Researchers also discovered that Persona, a UK-based company Discord briefly tested for age verification, accidentally made thousands of files publicly accessible online. Discord confirmed they ran a short test with Persona in January, which has now ended. According to security expert Vishnevskiy, Persona didn’t fulfill Discord’s requirement that age estimation be done directly on the user’s device, meaning personal biometric data potentially left users’ phones.

Persona, a company receiving funding from Founders Fund (linked to Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir Technologies), has connections to a controversial firm. Palantir has been criticized for its work with U.S. immigration enforcement and government surveillance. Recently, Palantir made an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help identify and deport individuals more efficiently. Following this, Discord stated that a limited test they conducted with Persona had concluded and that they were no longer associated.

Before any age verification service is used, Vishnevskiy explains that it goes through a thorough security and privacy check. This includes agreements about how data can be used and rules for how long it’s kept – and when it must be deleted. Any information submitted to verify someone’s age is only stored as long as absolutely necessary, and is often deleted right away.

Discord is working on more ways to verify users, in addition to using facial recognition and ID uploads. They’re currently exploring options like credit card verification. Before launching this system worldwide, Discord plans to finish developing and broaden these alternative verification methods.

Before fully launching in 2026, Discord will share information about all the companies it uses to verify users’ ages, including how those companies operate. Discord will also clearly show users which verification services are being used and publish a technical explanation of its age-checking systems – covering what information is used and how privacy is protected. Finally, Discord’s transparency reports will show how many users were asked to verify their age, which methods were used, and how often the process happened automatically.

I’m really excited about this new feature Discord is working on! A lot of my favorite communities already use private channels to hide spoilers, but it’s kind of annoying because you have to restrict the whole server. Now, Discord’s letting us create dedicated spoiler channels, so we can keep those discussions separate without locking everything else down. It’s great because it’s not just for adult content either – it’s perfect for things like politics or just heavy topics where you want a safe space for discussion.

Discord has become increasingly popular, especially with online gamers who use it to connect in private communities for text, voice, and video conversations. According to company officials, the number of teenage users has grown considerably since the start of the pandemic. There are also reports suggesting Discord may become a publicly traded company this year.

Many people are still doubtful. Alastair, who goes by Eret online and runs a popular Discord server with over 60,000 members, expressed his distrust to the BBC, saying, “I do not trust them.”

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2026-02-25 22:17