Discord attempt to put out the fires with a clarification over new age verification

Discord have released some clarifications around the new forced age verification system coming worldwide next month, as people look to flee the platform.

This comes as Google Trends show a huge increase in people looking for alternatives across the world. Clearly people aren't just sitting on their hands here thinking all will be okay:

In an updated announcement, the Discord team said that the "vast majority of people can continue using Discord exactly as they do today, without ever being asked to confirm their age". How then? Well, they're using an age inference model / a machine learning model already in the background based on what you do and how you interact with Discord to predict what age group you fall into. This age gating system also only affects people who specifically want to access age-restricted servers, or who want to "modify certain safety settings" like a sexual media filter or a graphic media filter according to Discord.

Below is their full new FAQ to save you clicking around:

Will I need to age assure to continue using Discord?

No. The vast majority of people can continue using Discord exactly as they do today, without ever being asked to confirm their age. In a minority of cases when additional confirmation is required, we offer multiple privacy-forward options through trusted partners.

When do I need to go through age assurance?

You must be a confirmed adult to access age-restricted content and experiences such as age-restricted servers and channels or to modify certain safety settings. The majority of Discord users don’t access age restricted content and will never go through a facial age estimation flow or ID verification. In the minority of cases where we cannot confirm you as an adult and you need to access age-restricted areas and settings, then you will be asked to go through additional steps.

How does Discord use this data?

We only get your age from the ID verification process and an estimated age range from Facial Age Estimation. We use this information for safety purposes and to help us deliver age appropriate experiences on Discord. We will not use your age assurance information to target you with advertisements, and we don't sell your data. You can control how we use your data.

How does Facial Age Estimation (”video selfie”) work?

If you choose Facial Age Estimation, you’ll be prompted to record a short video selfie of your face. The Facial Age Estimation technology runs entirely on your device in real time when you are performing the verification. That means that facial scans never leave your device, and Discord and vendors never receive it. We only get your age group.

How is my age group data safe on Discord?

Discord’s age assurance experience was designed to respect user privacy. We are partnering with dedicated age assurance vendors who specialize in performing these verifications in a privacy-forward way. These vendors were not involved in the September 2025 data breach of our customer service agent.

Our vendors perform these verifications in a way to minimize the data collected and stored. For FAE, the video selfie is processed on device and never stored. IDs are processed to get your age only and then deleted. Your identity is never associated with your Discord account.

What are you getting from my ID or facial age estimation? What personal information do you receive?

Discord only gets your age. That’s it. Your identity is never associated with your account.

How does the age inference model work?

We leverage an advanced machine learning model developed at Discord to predict whether a user falls into a particular age group based on patterns of user behavior and several other signals associated with their account on Discord. We only use these signals to assign users to an age group when our confidence level is high; when it isn't, users go through our standard age assurance flow to confirm their age. We do not use your message content in the age estimation model.

How do content safety filters work?

Discord’s content safety filters are part of our broader Teen Safety Assist and safety-by-default approach. They help reduce exposure to certain categories of potentially sensitive image-based media, especially for teens.

• Mature Sexual Media Filter: Helps identify visual media that may contain sexually explicit or suggestive material involving adults
• Graphic Media Filter: Helps identify image-based media that may contain violent or potentially disturbing visual material

These filters apply only to images and videos. They do not scan text messages, voice, or calls, and they are designed to support age-appropriate experiences while preserving private conversations.

Something I also learned today is that Discord doesn't actually allow you to just delete a DM conversation. You can close it, but that just hides it from your list. You have to have it open, to go in and individually delete messages inside it. Insane.