Discord age verification restrictions

(Image credit: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Discord has announced that, in March 2026, it will begin rolling out what it calls "teen-by-default settings" for everyone worldwide, requiring all users to complete an age verification process to avoid restrictions on content, settings, and communication. That process will require you to either scan your face or submit your government-issued ID.

While Discord says the wide-reaching age verification requirements are intended to "reinforce its long-standing commitment to creating a safer and more inclusive experience," the rollout announcement has been met with privacy and surveillance concerns from users who—understandably—aren't thrilled by the idea of providing the platform with their sensitive, identifying information.

What happens if you don't complete Discord age verification?

When Discord implements teen-by-default settings worldwide in March 2026, all new and existing Discord accounts will be reclassified as teen accounts, forcing all users onto a new set of default settings that can only be changed after completing Discord's age verification process.

Those settings will restrict the kinds of content you can see, the channels you can participate in, and the people you can communicate with. It's important to note that these restrictions will apply both in public servers and in private DMs, even if it's just you and four friends in a group chat. Here's what you can expect:

"Teen" Discord account limitations

Mature and graphic images will be permanently blocked: Images containing graphic or explicit content will be blurred by Discord's sensitive content filter. While users in most countries have previously been able to unblur mature content, it will now be impossible to unblur graphic imagery or adjust the content filter settings for your account until age verification is complete.
Age-restricted channels and servers will be inaccessible: Any Discord channels, servers, or server commands that have been designated as age-restricted by their operators will be inaccessible to accounts that haven't completed adult age verification. If you attempt to view age-restricted spaces with an account that isn't verified as an adult, you'll be met with a black screen preventing your access—even if you'd previously been a member.
DMs from unknown users will be rerouted to a separate inbox: Previously, all users could select a setting allowing unknown users to DM them directly without those messages being placed in the "Message Requests" inbox. Now, enabling the "Do not filter" option under Content & Social settings will require age verification.
Friend requests from unknown users will always produce a warning popup: The setting for disabling warning prompts for friend requests from unknown users will require age verification.
No speaking on server stages: Speaking on stage channels, which allow specific users to speak uninterrupted to an audience of listeners, will only be possible after completing age verification.

What do you need to complete Discord age verification? Should you be worried about your privacy?

Discord's "age assurance" process can be completed in one of two ways:

Allow Discord to record a video of your face, which it will use to generate an age estimate
Provide a picture of a government-issued ID and provide a selfie to match your ID

How willing you should be to provide that information is something we each have to determine for ourselves, but it's always worth exercising caution whenever you're asked to give identifying or private information—especially when it's being associated with your online account and its activity.

Depending which age verification method you use, Discord is either sending the analysis of your face recording or sending your government-issued ID and photo to one of its ID verification partners. Discord says video recordings are analyzed on-device and aren't sent elsewhere and that photos of ID are deleted "quickly," but there's already been at least one case where a data breach at one of Discord's ID verification partners exposed the sensitive information and government IDs of its users.

Ultimately, in providing your private information to Discord, you are taking a large company at its word that it will prioritize your privacy when it might be more profitable to skirt security safeguards, maintain valuable user data, or comply with private or state surveillance efforts. If those risks seem too great, it's worth considering an alternative chat application—or sticking to the new "teen" account privileges.

Discord says that some users may not have to complete the age verification process thanks to a new "age inference model" that will analyze your behavior on the platform to estimate your age. Even if you get to avoid scanning your face or your ID, you should keep in mind that your activity on the platform is nevertheless being analyzed.

Lincoln has been writing about games for 12 years—unless you include the essays about procedural storytelling in Dwarf Fortress he convinced his college professors to accept. Leveraging the brainworms from a youth spent in World of Warcraft to write for sites like Waypoint, Polygon, and Fanbyte, Lincoln spent three years freelancing for PC Gamer before joining on as a full-time News Writer in 2024, bringing an expertise in Caves of Qud bird diplomacy, getting sons killed in Crusader Kings, and hitting dinosaurs with hammers in Monster Hunter.

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