Discord requires age verification for all users to protect minors

The new policy, officially titled "Teen-by-Default Settings," will restrict access to several core platform features for users who are not verified as adults. According to a Hacker News report on a Discord press release, these restricted features include the ability to speak on Stages and the ability to modify message request settings. These limitations will be applied universally until a user's age status is confirmed.

Discord's verification process will reportedly utilize an AI-based age-inference system. As detailed in multiple reports from The Register, this system may algorithmically grant exceptions to some users it deems to be adults, potentially allowing them to "wiggle out" of more stringent verification methods. The technical specifics of how this AI model will analyze users to infer their age were not disclosed in the available source material.

This move toward mandatory age assurance follows a broader industry trend. According to an article from The Verge, other AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are also developing systems to predict when users are underage. Discord's approach, however, appears to be one of the most comprehensive, applying a restrictive default setting to its entire user base.

The announcement comes amidst ongoing concerns about user privacy and data security on the platform. A separate report from TechCrunch details a data breach affecting at least 70,000 Discord users. Furthermore, The Verge reported on an update regarding a separate security incident involving a breach at 5CA, a third-party customer service provider used by Discord. The implementation of a new system requiring extensive user age data will likely raise further questions about data collection, storage, and protection.

The precise implementation date within 2026 and the full scope of features that will be gated behind age verification were not specified in the available sources. Discord's press release, as cited by Hacker News, frames these measures as "mandatory for Child Protection." The policy represents a significant shift in how the platform manages user access, moving from a system where adults had full functionality by default to one where all users are initially treated as minors.