Discord Addresses Age Verification Concerns, Claims AI Can Predict User Ages Through Behavior Patterns

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In the wake of announcing controversial plans to age-lock accounts, Discord has clarified its “age assurance update,” emphasizing that “facial scans never leave your device,” IDs are “deleted” after age verification, and it often identifies adult users through an “advanced” AI model designed to estimate ages. This last point seems to raise more questions than it answers.

Earlier this week, Discord revealed that “teen-by-default” settings are being implemented for all users globally, as part of its commitment to fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for those over 13. This means that, by default, users will be restricted from accessing age-restricted channels and unblurring sensitive content, while direct messages from unknown users will be sent to a separate inbox. Changing these settings requires verification as an “age-assured adult.”

Adults can confirm their age to regain full access, but this may involve using “facial age estimation” through a face scan or submitting “a form of identification” to Discord’s “vendor partners”—not the most appealing option, especially following a recent data breach involving a third-party provider. Previously, Discord reported that around 70,000 users “may have had government-ID photos exposed” during age-related appeals.

It’s easy to see why users are concerned, and Discord has updated its announcement page to address these worries, although it mostly reiterates previous information. It emphasizes that “Discord is not requiring everyone to complete a face scan or upload an ID” to use the platform, assuring that “the vast majority of people can continue using Discord as they do today, without ever being asked to confirm their age.”

Discord claims that “for most adult users, we will be able to confirm your age group using information we already have.” It elaborates on age prediction, which “allows many adults to access age-appropriate features without undergoing an explicit age check.” This process utilizes “an advanced machine learning model” developed in-house, analyzing “patterns of user behavior and various signals associated with their account” to categorize users by age.

“We only use these signals to assign users to an age group when our confidence level is high; if not, users will go through our standard age assurance process to confirm their age,” Discord states. “We do not use your message content in the age estimation model.”

Regarding other verification methods, Discord clarifies that “facial scans never leave your device. Discord and our vendor partners never receive it.” Forms of ID are “used solely to verify your age and then deleted,” a statement that seems to slightly backtrack from earlier claims that they would be deleted “in most cases” immediately after age confirmation.

Discord also asserts that it “only receives your age,” and that “your identity is never linked to your account.” Importantly, it notes that the “dedicated age assurance vendors” it collaborates with “were not involved in the September 2025 data breach of our customer service agent,” and “conduct these verifications in a manner that minimizes data collection and storage.”

Despite these reassurances, online reactions indicate that many users remain dissatisfied, and the hesitation is understandable. The platform has stated that “we will be sharing additional information and FAQs in this blog with more details on our approach” in the “coming weeks,” which may shed more light on the situation.

The UK’s contentious online safety law mandates that Discord users must scan their faces to verify their age, and intriguingly, Hideo Kojima’s own Death Stranding 2 has provided privacy-conscious players with a workaround.