Discord has announced that starting early March 2026, every account worldwide (new and existing) will default to a “teen-appropriate experience.” This means all age-gated content will be hidden unless you complete age verification.
How Age Verification Works
To unlock adult content you will need to:
- Upload a government-issued ID, or
- Perform a short selfie video scan
The selfie video is processed locally on your device and never leaves your phone.
ID documents are sent to a third-party provider (k-ID) and are deleted immediately after verification in most cases.
Discord will also run an age inference model that looks at:
- Games you play
- Time spent on Discord
- Hours of activity
If the model thinks you’re under 18, it will keep the teen restrictions even without manual verification.
Already Live in Some Regions
The same system has been required in the UK and Australia since 2025. The March rollout simply makes it global.
Privacy Concerns
Discord says it takes privacy seriously, but:
- A major breach in October 2025 exposed ~70,000 user profiles including government IDs and credit card data.
- The system is almost identical to Roblox’s controversial age verification, which received heavy backlash.
Summary Table
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Default Setting | Teen-by-default for all accounts (March 2026) |
| Age Verification Methods | Government ID upload OR local selfie video scan |
| Processing | Selfie = on-device only ID = third-party (k-ID), deleted quickly |
| Age Inference | Uses gameplay, playtime, and activity hours |
| Already Required In | UK & Australia (since 2025) |
| Global Rollout | Early March 2026 |
This is a significant change for adult users who previously had unrestricted access by default.
Sources:
Discord official blog, Discord Support, Windows Central, The Verge, TechCrunch, k-ID.
