Discord, the popular communication platform, will begin implementing new age-restricted features globally in March. These changes aim to enhance safety by setting ‘teen-by-default’ safety controls and introducing a more comprehensive ‘age assurance’ system. While most everyday functionalities will remain unaffected, specific features will now require age verification.
Global Rollout of Safety Controls
Initially launched in the UK and Australia, Discord’s age assurance and teen-focused safety settings were partly driven by regulatory requirements. The company is now expanding these protections worldwide to establish age-appropriate defaults. This initiative aims to create a secure environment where adults can unlock additional features by confirming their age.
From next month, users will encounter age verification prompts when accessing certain age-restricted content or settings. Once verified, users typically won’t need to repeat the process for future interactions unless new age-restricted actions are attempted. This ‘progressive gating’ ensures that general chat and community participation remain accessible without mandatory universal verification.
Key Changes and Features
Users will need to verify their age to engage in certain actions, such as unblurring media flagged by sensitive content filters, accessing age-restricted channels and servers, or speaking in Stage channels. Additionally, enabling age-restricted app commands or altering message request settings will also prompt age verification.
The ‘teen-by-default’ approach ensures robust safety settings for all accounts unless verified as adult. These settings include content blurring, stricter controls over sensitive content, and separate inbox routing for message requests from unknown users. This strategy is designed to protect users from exposure to potentially harmful content and reduce risks associated with unsolicited direct messages and social engineering attempts.
Privacy and Verification Methods
Discord is committed to privacy while implementing these changes. The platform will utilize a toolkit of verification methods, including ‘age inference’ based on account behavior and signals, to predict user age with high confidence. In cases requiring more certainty, explicit methods like facial age estimation and ID document scanning will be available through partners.
Privacy protections are emphasized, with on-device processing for video selfies and rapid deletion of identity documents by vendors. Verification status will remain confidential to users, ensuring that personal data is not misused. Additionally, Discord cautions users to only expect age assurance prompts within the app, not via email or text, to prevent phishing attempts.
Alongside the rollout, Discord is establishing a Teen Council to gather feedback from young users aged 13–17 in the US. This council will play a crucial role in shaping future safety and wellbeing features, balancing risk reduction with user experience and agency. Stay updated on cybersecurity developments by following us on Google News, LinkedIn, and X.
