2026-02-10 14:00:02
Discord will soon require users to verify their age with either a face scan or a form of ID in order to access adult content.
The online chat service, which enables people to create and join groups based on their interests, says that the new safety measures are aimed at protecting people by placing all users into a teen-appropriate experience “by default”.
Discord already makes some users in the UK and Australia verify their age to comply with online safety laws, but will roll out checks to users from around the world in early March.
The platform’s policy head Savannah Badalich said: “Nowhere is our safety work more important than when it comes to teen users.
“Rolling out teen-by-default settings globally builds on Discord’s existing safety architecture, giving teens strong protections while allowing verified adults flexibility.”
Discord says that the new settings will restrict what people can see and how they can communicate, with only those who prove they are an adult allowed to access age-restricted communities and unblur material that is marked as sensitive.
Users will also be unable to see direct messages that have been sent to them from someone they don’t know unless they have completed Discord’s age checks.
Drew Benvie, the head of social media consultancy Battenhall, explained that the new system could be “fraught with issues” because Discord has millions of communities.
He told the BBC: “Discord could lose users if its implementation of age verification backfires, but it could equally attract more new users who will be drawn to its new standards for online safety by design.”
The company explained on Monday (09.02.26) that it would use “inference” tools to identify users who are likely to be adults.
Badalich said: “For most adults, age verification won’t be required, as Discord’s age inference model uses account information such as account tenure, device and activity data, and aggregated, high-level patterns across Discord communities.
“Discord does not use private messages or any message content in this process.”
Discord is emulating Meta’s Facebook and Instagram with its new measures – which include a teen advisory council.
Benvie said: “While forced age verification and safe content by default could be a combination of changes that we see other social networks adopt, I expect they will all be watching how Discord’s implementation lands with its users.”
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