Discord, a messaging and voice chat platform for gamers, has issued a statement amid the previously announced «teen-by-default» setting for everyone and the age verification rollout planned for March 2026, following user criticism.
Discord Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy wrote in a blog post acknowledging that the team failed to explain the changes clearly.
The company has decided to postpone the rollout of the age verification checks until the second half of 2026. Vishnevskiy noted that «over 90% of users will never need to verify their age to continue using Discord exactly as they do today,» as the platform’s internal systems will be able to determine if the user is an adult. For those who end up in the remaining group, Discord will offer options to verify age without disclosing identity. Users who do not verify will keep all normal features except access to age-restricted content and certain teen-safety settings.
Furthermore, Vishnevskiy stressed privacy, data safety and transparency issues, stating that the company will disclose how their internal age-verifying system operates, provide clear information on third-party vendors and release reports on the number of users asked to verify, the methods used, and the frequency with which the platform’s automated systems accomplished the task without user interaction.
