Discord Age Verification: It's going to be required....
Discord is introducing a major change to how it handles user accounts. Starting in early March 2026, the platform will begin requiring age verification for all users — or else take away access to certain parts of the app. This update is part of a broader push to improve safety for teens and comply with growing legal requirements around the world.
What Is Happening?
Discord has announced that it will automatically put every account into a “teen-appropriate” mode by default once the new system rolls out in March. That means unless a person proves they are an adult, their experience on Discord will be more restricted than it is today.
“Teen-by-Default” Experience
Under the new setup, all users — both new and existing — will be treated as if they are teenagers until age verification is completed. That includes people who have been on the platform for years.
Why Discord Is Doing This
Discord says the changes are designed to protect younger users and make the platform safer overall. The move comes amid increased regulatory pressure around the world for online apps to better restrict access to adult content and unsafe interactions for minors.
How the Age Verification System Works
Discord has laid out a few different methods users can use to prove they are adults.
Automatic Age Inference
First, Discord will use machine learning and account behavior data to infer a user’s age in the background. If the system is confident you are an adult, you may not be asked to take further steps.
Facial Age Estimation
If automatic inference isn’t sufficient, users may be asked to complete a short **video selfie** that Discord uses to estimate age. The company says this process happens on your device and those scans do *not* leave it.
Government-Issued ID
Another option is submitting a government ID to one of Discord’s third-party partners. Discord says IDs are deleted quickly after age is confirmed.
Additional Verification Steps
In some cases, the system might ask for more than one method to ensure accuracy. This helps Discord assign users to the correct age group when the initial checks aren’t clear.
User Privacy and Data Handling
Discord states that age verification tools are designed with privacy in mind. Facial scans processed on the device are not transmitted elsewhere, and ID documents are deleted soon after use. Still, some users have raised concerns about sharing sensitive information given past third-party data breaches.
What Happens If You Don’t Verify?
If you choose not to verify your age, your account won’t be deleted — but it *will* stay in its restricted, teen-appropriate state. That means:
- Age-restricted servers and channels remain off-limits.
- Sensitive content stays blurred by default.
- Direct messages from people you don’t know get routed to a separate inbox.
- You won’t be able to use certain commands or speak on “stage” channels.
- Friend requests from unknown users come with warning prompts.
Community Reaction
Many Discord users have reacted strongly to the new requirements. Some appreciate the safety efforts, while others are worried about privacy and what it means for anonymity online. Past third-party breaches that exposed ID photos have fueled skepticism about whether the platform can protect sensitive data effectively.
Looking Ahead
Age verification on Discord represents one of the biggest policy shifts in the company’s history. It aligns Discord with other platforms that already use age checks to control access to mature content. Whether other chat apps will follow suit remains to be seen.
Conclusion
Starting in March 2026, age verification on Discord is going to change how millions of people use the platform. For many adults, automatic age inference may make the process invisible. For others, it will mean providing a selfie scan or government ID. What’s clear is that Discord is making a big bet on safety — and sparking a big conversation about privacy in the process.