Discord Is Delaying Age Checks Following User Backlash

The is pushing back the global rollout of age checks until later this year. After a rocky start, Discord has delayed the global rollout of its age-verification policies following user backlash. Earlier this month, the messaging-based social platform announced that it would set all new and existing accounts to what it calls “teen-by-default” settings. That means users who want access to age-restricted content and features will need to verify that they are adults. But Discord says it is hitting pause on those plans, for now. Discord Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy wrote in a blog post on Tuesday that the company is pushing back global implementation of these age checks until the second half of 2026. Vishnevskiy also acknowledged the company made missteps, including failing to clearly communicate what the changes would mean for users. “Our goal is straightforward: keep the Discord experience completely unchanged for the vast majority of people while ensuring an age-appropriate experience for everyone,” Vishnevskiy wrote. “Over 90% of users will never need to verify their age to continue using Discord exactly as they do today.” Discord’s age verification push comes as governments around the world, including Australia, the U.K., and Brazil, move to restrict teens’ access to social media or require age verification to access adult content. Many of these laws require platforms to work with third-party vendors to verify users’ ages, often through facial recognition or ID submission. Discord already partners with vendors in regions where verification is legally required, with mixed results. The company still plans to implement age verification globally, but Vishnevskiy emphasized that most users shouldn’t notice any difference. He said more than 90% of users will see no changes because they do not access age-restricted content. For those who do, Discord uses internal systems to estimate age using signals such as how long an account has existed, whether a payment method is on file, the types of servers a user visits, and general account activity. Discord says the system does not read messages or analyze posted content, and is similar to tools used to detect spam. For the 10% of users whose age cannot be determined internally, third-party verification may still be required. Discord says it will work with vendors that can confirm whether someone is an adult without collecting or storing personal data or linking a person’s identity to their Discord account. “The idea is simple: we don’t want to know who you are. We just need to know whether you’re an adult,” Vishnevskiy wrote. “And it works both ways: a vendor has no way to associate your identity back to your Discord account either. That’s by design.” He added that Discord has already cut ties with vendors that failed to meet these standards. Last year, one such vendor experienced a data breach affecting tens of thousands of users whose government ID photos may have been exposed. He also acknowledged that the platform briefly tested age-verification software from Persona Identities in the U.K. last month but decided not to move forward with the service. This comes as Persona, backed by Peter Thiel’s venture firm Founders Fund, has come under scrutiny in recent weeks. Independent security researchers recently reported that Persona’s system can run identity checks beyond age verification, including comparing submitted photos against government watchlists and screening individuals across 269 verification checks.