Discord to mandate age verification for full access

Discord has announced that age verification will be mandatory for all users worldwide from early March.

With age verification, the application will automatically restrict activity to “teen-appropriate experience.”

The ban follows a global attempt to make social media a safe place for children.

Under new rules, all accounts will default to restricted settings. To access full features, including age-gated servers, view sensitive content, or fully participate in voice channels, users verify their ages.

For verification, users need to submit a government ID or use facial age estimation through a video selfie.

To record users’ sensitive data, Discord stresses that video selfies are processed on-device and never stored on its servers.

Additionally, submitted Ids are “quickly deleted” by their vendors after confirmation.

The company states verification will be a one-time process for most users.

Discord will take strict actions against unverified accounts. They will have major limitations, including blocked access to age-restricted servers, which will appear obscured, and filtered direct messages from strangers.

The changes come amid rising legislative pressure over online age verification and previous safety incidents on the site.

The rollout also places Discord alongside other prominent platforms embracing strict age verification, marking an evolutionary shift for how users will access 18+ content online.