Discord delays global age verification to late 2026
Discord announced Tuesday it is delaying its global age verification rollout from March to the second half of 2026. The decision follows significant user backlash regarding initial plans that would have defaulted all users into a “teen-appropriate experience” until they verified their adult status. The company clarified that its internal safety systems can determine the age of many adult users, meaning approximately 90% of users will not need to perform any active verification. These internal systems analyze signals such as account longevity, the presence of payment methods, and server membership history.
In a blog post addressing the controversy, Discord CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy acknowledged that the company failed to clearly communicate its intentions. “Let me be upfront: we knew this rollout was going to be controversial,” Vishnevskiy wrote. He noted that introducing measures touching identity naturally generates strong reactions and that the company should have provided more detailed explanations regarding the process and its purpose. The primary source of confusion was the belief that every user would be required to upload government IDs or undergo facial scans. “The way this landed, many of you walked away thinking we’re requiring face scans and ID uploads from everyone just to use Discord,” Vishnevskiy stated. “That’s not what’s happening, but the fact that so many people believe it tells us we failed at our most basic job: clearly explaining what we’re doing and why.”
The remaining 10% of users, identified by internal systems as potentially requiring further verification, will be presented with multiple options. While Discord previously stated that age verification would be limited to facial age estimation or submission of an ID to vendor partners, the platform is expanding these choices. Before the global rollout, Discord plans to introduce additional methods, including an option to verify using a credit card. The company is also adjusting how it handles data, publishing information on its website regarding each verification vendor’s data practices and identifying which specific vendor is being used.
Security and privacy concerns regarding vendors have been a significant point of contention. Discord now states it will only work with vendors that process age verification entirely on the user’s device. This policy shift follows criticism over the platform’s previous partnership with Persona, a company backed by an investment firm co-founded by Peter Thiel. Thiel serves as chairman of Palantir, a firm noted for its work with U.S. immigration enforcement and federal surveillance programs. Persona also faced criticism for its use of third-party data and government partnerships. Discord has attempted to distance itself from the vendor, telling The Verge that it “ran a limited test of Persona in the UK where age assurance had previously launched and that test has since concluded.”
Previous data breaches involving age verification vendors have further complicated user trust. Last October, Discord disclosed that approximately 70,000 users may have had sensitive data, including government ID photos, exposed due to a hack targeting a third-party vendor used for age-related appeals. Discord confirmed it no longer works with the vendor involved in that specific breach. Regarding the impact on users who decline to verify under the new system, Vishnevskiy clarified that account access remains largely unaffected. “If you choose not to verify, here’s exactly what happens: you keep your account, your servers, your friends list, your DMs, and voice chat,” he said. The only restrictions for unverified users will be the inability to access age-restricted content or change certain default safety settings designed to protect teens.