Discord, the popular platform for gamers to communicate online, has postponed its controversial age verification policy after receiving swift backlash from users with concerns about their privacy.
The Delayed Rollout
The global rollout of the system is now delayed to the second half of 2026, Discord’s Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy wrote in a Tuesday blog post acknowledging that the company “missed the mark.”
“Many of you are worried that this is just another big tech company finding new ways to collect your personal data. That we’re creating a problem to justify invasive solutions,” Vishnevskiy wrote. “I get that skepticism. It’s earned, not just toward us, but toward the entire tech industry. But that’s not what we’re doing.”
The Concerns
Discord, which says it has more than 200 million active users, will continue to meet specific legal obligations it has for age verification of users, the company said, but the global expansion of age verification will only come after it makes changes to the initial policy it laid out in early February.
The company announced earlier this month that it would roll out an age verification policy in March that would include face scanning or requests for an ID upload for users it could not determine were adults. This drew swift ire from users. Many pointed to a recent security breach of a third-party provider Discord worked with that exposed government ID photos of up to 70,000 Discord users.
The Security Breach
Vishnevskiy referenced the security breach in the blog post, writing that he understood that incident added to users’ skepticism, but he emphasized the company no longer works with that vendor and has rigorous standards for its partners.
“Every vendor we work with goes through a security and privacy review before integration,” he wrote. “That includes contractual limits on data use, and strict retention and deletion requirements. Information submitted for age verification is stored only for the minimum time necessary, which in most cases means it’s deleted immediately. If a vendor doesn’t pass, we don’t work with them.”
The Future of Age Verification
Discord has not yet provided a clear timeline for when the age verification policy will be implemented, but the company has stated that it will continue to work with users to address their concerns and ensure that the policy is fair and transparent.
In the meantime, users can continue to use Discord without worrying about age verification, but the company has warned that it will continue to meet its legal obligations and may implement the policy in the future if it is deemed necessary.
What’s Next for Discord?
Discord has faced criticism in the past for its handling of user data and its lack of transparency around its policies. The company has taken steps to address these concerns, including implementing new security measures and increasing transparency around its data collection practices.
However, the age verification policy has raised new concerns among users, and it remains to be seen how the company will address these concerns and implement the policy in a way that is fair and transparent.
FAQs
Q: What is the age verification policy?
A: The age verification policy is a system that Discord plans to implement to verify the age of its users. The policy includes face scanning or requests for an ID upload for users it could not determine were adults.
Q: Why is Discord implementing the age verification policy?
A: Discord is implementing the age verification policy to meet its legal obligations and to ensure that its users are of the required age to use the platform.
Q: What data will be collected for age verification?
A: Information submitted for age verification is stored only for the minimum time necessary, which in most cases means it’s deleted immediately.
Q: How will Discord protect user data?
A: Discord has rigorous standards for its partners and conducts security and privacy reviews before integration. Information submitted for age verification is stored only for the minimum time necessary, which in most cases means it’s deleted immediately.
Q: What’s next for Discord?
A: Discord will continue to work with users to address their concerns and ensure that the policy is fair and transparent. The company has not yet provided a clear timeline for when the age verification policy will be implemented.
