Discord delays global age verification rollout until H2 2026

Discord, the communication platform popular among gaming communities and online groups, will postpone the global rollout of age verification measures until the second half of 2026, following user backlash.

The company previously planned to implement “teen-by-default” settings in March, which would have required users to prove they are adults to access the platform’s full features through facial age estimation or by uploading a government ID.

Many users criticized the proposal as intrusive, leading some to cancel paid subscriptions and seek alternative services.

Discord’s co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy explained in a Tuesday statement that the company expects more than 90% of users will not need to verify their age as its internal systems can often determine adulthood using account-level indicators without examining message content.

Only users attempting to access age-restricted material may encounter verification prompts, Vishnevskiy stated, noting that Discord aims to balance teen safety with preserving full access for adults. He admitted that Discord did not communicate its intentions clearly.

For users who cannot be automatically classified, Discord will offer multiple third-party verification methods designed to confirm age without revealing identity, Vishnevskiy added.

Users who choose not to verify maintain their accounts but lose access to certain restricted features. Vendors must meet new privacy standards, including for on-device facial age estimation, he said.

The rollout reflects compliance requirements in countries like the UK and Australia, and soon Brazil, with additional jurisdictions considering similar rules. In these regions, verification is legally required for certain content.

Before expanding the system worldwide, the platform intends to offer additional verification options, including credit card checks. Any partner providing facial age estimation must now process data entirely on the user’s device rather than on external servers.

The company also committed to publishing a list of verification partners, releasing a technical explanation of its automated age inference methods, and including verification statistics in future transparency reports.