Discord is rolling out age verification globally starting March 2026, the company announced on Monday. The move is designed to provide a safer, teen-appropriate experience by default while giving verified adults full access to age-restricted content and features.
Under the new system, users must confirm their age to unblur sensitive content, access certain channels, or modify default safety settings. Messages from unknown users are automatically routed to a separate inbox, and only verified adults can speak onstage in servers or change this setting.
How Age Verification Works
To verify their age, users can either submit a government-issued ID to Discord’s vendor partners or complete a facial age estimation. The platform emphasizes that video selfies for facial verification never leave the user’s device, while submitted IDs are deleted quickly, often immediately after verification. Discord also plans to expand verification methods in the future, with some users required to use multiple methods if additional validation is needed.
The rollout follows earlier regional launches in the U.K. and Australia and reflects growing global efforts to strengthen child safety online. Platforms like Roblox and YouTube have introduced similar measures, including mandatory facial verification and AI-powered age estimation, to provide age-appropriate experiences.
Balancing Safety and Accessibility
“Rolling out teen-by-default settings globally builds on Discord’s existing safety architecture, giving teens strong protections while allowing verified adults flexibility,” said Savannah Badalich, head of product policy at Discord.
She added that the platform continues to collaborate with safety experts, policymakers, and users to ensure long-term digital wellbeing for teens.
Discord’s age verification initiative is part of a broader push to make online interactions safer without compromising the experience for adult users. Both new and existing users will be required to verify their age to access age-restricted channels and content.
