Discord, the widely used platform for gamers to interact online, has decided to delay its contentious age verification policy due to significant backlash from users concerned about their privacy. Originally slated for a global implementation in March, the rollout has now been postponed to the second half of 2026. This announcement was made by Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord's Chief Technology Officer and co-founder, in a blog post published on Tuesday.
Vishnevskiy acknowledged that the company had "missed the mark" with its initial policy, which faced immediate criticism. Users expressed their apprehension that this move signified another instance of a large tech company seeking new methods to collect personal data under the guise of safety and verification. "Many of you are worried that this is just another big tech company finding new ways to collect your personal data," he noted, indicating that this skepticism is understandable given the current climate of tech scrutiny.
Discord, which boasts more than 200 million active users, aims to comply with specific legal requirements for age verification while delaying the broader application of this verification system until it can address the concerns raised about its initial proposal. Earlier announcements suggested that the age verification process would rely on face scanning and requests for users to upload IDs if their age could not be objectively verified.
This plan drew quick ire from the community, especially in light of a recent security breach affecting a third-party vendor, which resulted in the exposure of government ID photos belonging to approximately 70,000 users. Vishnevskiy acknowledged this incident in his statement, recognizing how it heightened skepticism among users regarding data privacy. He assured users that Discord no longer partners with the compromised vendor and has implemented stringent standards for its future collaborations.
To further alleviate user fears, Vishnevskiy outlined that every vendor worked with by Discord undergoes extensive security and privacy evaluations before being approved for integration. The information submitted during age verification will be handled with care: data is stored only for the minimum necessary duration, often resulting in immediate deletion. If a vendor does not meet these rigorous standards, they will not be engaged by Discord.
One vendor that did not meet Discord's criteria was Persona, an identity verification service. In January, Discord conducted a limited test of the service in the United Kingdom, but Persona failed to meet the company's expectations for facial age estimation technology, which demands that the estimation process occurs entirely on-device without transmitting biometric data off the users' devices. This further distanced Discord from Persona after they faced criticism due to their connections to controversial entities, including Venture Capital firm Founders Fund, associated with Palantir Technologies co-founder Peter Thiel.
Though backlash prevailed regarding both the original and the revised age verification policy, Vishnevskiy claims that for over 90% of users, the changes will not alter their experience on the platform. Discord has developed methods to proactively ascertain users' ages by analyzing account-level indicators like account age, payment methods, and server activity, while maintaining that it does not access message content for this purpose.
For the remaining minority of users whose ages cannot be determined through existing methods, Discord is committed to providing alternative verification options beyond face scanning and ID uploads, such as credit card verification. Before implementing the new system, the company plans to "complete and expand" these alternative options.
Users who opt not to verify their age will retain their account, including their servers, friends list, direct messages, and voice chat capabilities; however, they will be restricted from accessing age-restricted content and changing specific safety settings designed for younger users. To bolster transparency, Discord has pledged to release a detailed post delineating how its automatic age determination systems function and to document all verification vendors along with their practices on its website.
