Discord will now be requiring age verification for users. The app has been taking necessary steps to ensure the safety of every demographic of its audience, including teenagers, with its new Teen-by-Default settings. This update will be streamlined in the coming month, where users will need to follow steps to access the content.
Discord introducing age verification and facial scans as enhanced safety features
On Monday, February 9, 2026, Discord announced that from March 2026, it will implement an age verification for users. If not following the process, their screen will black out during a age restricted content. For the verification, users can go through a face scan or “submit a form of identification to its vendor partners.” Additionally, more options will be rolling out in the future. If the selfie is incorrect, one can submit a photo of an identity document.
The video selfies never leave the user’s device, and the identity documents submitted are set to be deleted quickly. Users might be asked to use multiple methods if more information is required for the verification. Moreover, the age verification status can only be viewed by the particular user. Savannah Badalich, Head of Product Policy at Discord, opened up about the update, “Nowhere is our safety work more important than when it comes to teen users, which is why we are announcing these updates in time for Safer Internet Day.”
She further added, “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,” she continued. Badalich assured the app “will continue working with safety experts, policymakers, and Discord users to support meaningful, long term wellbeing for teens on the platform.”
She also told The Verge, “For most adults, age verification won’t be required, as Discord’s age inference model uses account information such as account tenure, device and activity data, and aggregated, high-level patterns across Discord communities. Discord does not use private messages or any message content in this process.”
