Discord is rolling out age verification globally starting next month. The company announced that all users will be placed into a teen-appropriate experience by default unless they prove they are adults. Age verification will be required to change certain settings and access age-restricted content.
Users will need to be confirmed as adults to unblur sensitive content or turn off the default safety setting. Only verified adults can access age-restricted channels, servers, and app commands. Additionally, messages from people a user may not know are routed to a separate inbox by default, and only verified adults can modify this setting. People will receive warning prompts for friend requests from unfamiliar users, and only adults will be able to speak on stage in servers.
To complete age verification, users must either complete a facial age estimation or submit an ID to Discord’s vendor partners. The platform plans to add more options in the future. Some users may be asked to use multiple methods when additional information is needed to assign an age group.
The facial age estimation requires video selfies, which Discord states never leave a user’s device. The company also says IDs submitted to its vendor partners are deleted quickly, and in most cases, immediately after age confirmation.
It is worth noting that Discord disclosed last October that around 70,000 users may have had sensitive data, such as government ID photos, exposed after hackers breached a third-party vendor used for age-related appeals. The breach reflected digital rights activists’ concerns over the use of age checks as a way to make the internet safer.
Discord’s global launch of age verification follows the company’s decision to establish age checks for users in the U.K. and Australia last year.
In a press release, Savannah Badalich, head of product policy at Discord, said that rolling out teen-by-default settings globally builds on the platform’s existing safety architecture, giving teens strong protections while allowing verified adults flexibility. The company designs its products with teen safety principles at the core and will continue working with safety experts, policymakers, and users to support long-term wellbeing for teens on the platform.
The announcement mirrors similar moves by other online platforms, reflecting growing international efforts to strengthen child safety. Most recently, Roblox introduced mandatory facial verification for access to chats on its platform. Last July, YouTube launched its age-estimation technology in the U.S. to identify teen users and provide a more age-appropriate experience.
Discord’s age-verification changes will begin in early March. Both new and existing users will need to verify their age to access age-restricted content.