Discord delays global age verification rollout following backlash

Discord has announced it will delay its global rollout of its new age verification requirements until the second half of 2026, following significant backlash from users.

The details:

• In a new blog post on its website, Discord co-founder and chief technology officer Stanislav Vishnevskiy said that the company had "missed the mark" when sharing the requirements behind its new age verification system, acknowledging that many users were misinformed by the wording of its announcement. “The way this landed, many of you walked away thinking we’re requiring face scans and ID uploads from everyone just to use Discord,” the post reads. “That’s not what’s happening, but the fact that so many people believe it tells us we failed at our most basic job—clearly explaining what we’re doing and why. That’s on us.”
• The age verification system, which launched in the UK and Australia last year to coincide with tighter regulations and was scheduled to roll out globally in early March, only applies to users who want to access Discord servers tagged as mature. Vishnevskiy added in the post that "over 90% of users will never need to verify their age to continue using Discord exactly as they do today.”
• For those that do access content that would require age verification, Discord has confirmed that it uses an internal system to determine the user’s age based on various elements such as an account’s age, the payment methods attached to it, the types of servers they’re in, and more. However, the CTO stressed that the system "does not read your messages, analyze your conversations, or look at the content you post."
• The requirement will remain in place for users in the UK, Australia, and Brazil due to it being a legal requirement, but those around the world will not encounter the system for the foreseeable future. Discord has also confirmed that it has ended its partnership with Persona, the company that it was working with in the UK, and verification will now take place on a user’s device. The global rollout will also offer the ability to verify with a selection of different companies.