Discord Implements New Age Verification Measures Requiring Face Scans or ID for Full Access
February 9, 2026 — Popular social platform Discord announced on Monday the rollout of enhanced age assurance technology designed to protect its younger users while maintaining flexibility for adults. Starting in early March, all users will be shifted by default to a "teen-appropriate experience," which features more restricted communications and content settings.
To gain full access to the platform’s features beyond this limited experience, users will need to verify their age by submitting either a video selfie for facial age estimation or an acceptable form of government-issued identification. This step is part of Discord’s new approach to ensure age-appropriate interactions and content control on its rapidly growing platform, which has long been favored by the gaming community and beyond.
Discord is also deploying an age inference model aimed at identifying adult accounts without requiring active user verification in most cases. This model analyzes non-intrusive account data such as account tenure, device information, user activity, and aggregated behavioral patterns across Discord communities. Importantly, this process excludes any private message content or communications, alleviating privacy concerns for users.
Savannah Badalich, Discord’s head of product policy, emphasized the company’s commitment to balancing safety and autonomy in a statement:
“Rolling out teen-by-default settings globally builds on Discord’s existing safety architecture, giving teens strong protections while allowing verified adults flexibility. We design our products with teen safety principles at the core and will continue working with safety experts, policymakers, and Discord users to support meaningful, long term wellbeing for teens on the platform.”
Under the new system, the default teen experience will feature filters to block sensitive content, limit access to age-restricted channels, and redirect messages from unknown users to a separate inbox. Users will also see warnings before accepting friend requests from people they do not know. This framework aims to create a safer and more controlled environment for younger users while preserving the platform’s vibrant social interaction.
In addition, Discord plans to establish a Teen Council comprising 10 to 12 teenagers tasked with providing feedback and guidance to help the company strike the right balance between protection, privacy, and user autonomy for teens on the platform.
This move arrives amid increasing scrutiny of online platforms and their role in protecting young users. Other digital companies have recently introduced similar safeguards: Roblox implemented age verification for chat features last November, and OpenAI began integrating age prediction tools into ChatGPT earlier this year to tailor user experiences accordingly.
Discord’s new age verification system is set to launch globally in March 2026, reflecting the company’s ongoing efforts to foster safer online communities while respecting privacy and user experience.
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