Discord to Assume All Users Are Underage Without Age Verification

The new "teen-by-default" settings, announced in a press release on February 9, 2026, will restrict access to features previously considered standard for the platform. According to a summary from Hacker News, these restrictions will include the ability to speak on Stages, a feature for hosting audio events, and the modification of message request settings. Users classified as underage will have these and other "adult-rated" features locked until they successfully complete an age verification process.

Discord will offer two primary methods for users to verify they are adults. The first method involves submitting a government-issued ID, such as a passport or driver's license, for manual review. The second method utilizes an AI inference model designed to estimate a user's age. According to The Register, this AI system could potentially allow a user to "wiggle out" of the underage classification if it determines they are an adult, though the technical specifics of how this model operates were not detailed in the available sources.

The policy shift appears to be a significant expansion of Discord's existing age verification efforts, which were previously focused on age-restricted servers. The move is framed by the company as a mandatory measure for child protection, as noted in the Hacker News coverage of the press release. By defaulting all users to an underage status, the platform aims to create a more restrictive environment by design, requiring explicit proof of age for full access.

This initiative follows a broader industry trend of deploying automated systems for age assurance. The Verge reported that other AI firms, including OpenAI and Anthropic, are also developing systems to predict user age. Discord's approach is notable for its default-deny stance, applying the most restrictive settings universally until verification is completed.

The requirement to submit government-issued identification is likely to raise significant privacy and security concerns among users. Discord has experienced data security incidents involving third parties in the recent past. TechCrunch reported a data breach affecting at least 70,000 users, and The Verge covered an update from Discord attributing a separate security incident to a breach at its third-party customer service provider, 5CA. While Discord stated that its own systems were not compromised in that event, the incidents highlight the potential risks of entrusting sensitive personal data to the platform's ecosystem.

The available sources did not specify what data the AI inference model will analyze to determine age, what company provides the technology, or its proven accuracy rate. Furthermore, details on the data retention policy for submitted government IDs or the biometric data potentially processed by the AI model were not disclosed. The implementation timeline for these changes across Discord's entire user base of over 200 million monthly active users also remains unclear from the provided source material.