Discord delays its age verification plans and says 'we're listening' — but it's too little too late | Tech Radar

Overview

Discord delays its age verification plans and says 'we're listening' — but it's too little too late

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Details

Discord's age verification plans have been delayed to the 'second half' of 2026

The delay is a response to the backlash from users who have voiced privacy concerns

Discord still intends to roll out age verification for users with minor changes

Discord has been under fire from its users due to plans for global age verification on the social app, and the fierce backlash against the decision has finally prompted Discord to act — but it's still not enough to win users over.

In a new press release, Discord announced that it will delay its global age verification plans, after admitting "we've made mistakes" and plans to rectify the matter by regaining the trust of its users. Instead of the rollout beginning in March, it will now happen at an unannounced date in the latter stage of 2026.

Discord has also tried to clarify its plans yet again, stating: "Many of you walked away thinking we're requiring face scans and ID uploads from everyone just to use Discord. 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."

Discord tries to 'clarify' its age verification plans, but it isn't helping

Discord users are furious about new age verification checks that are coming soon

Discord defectors are causing capacity issues with an alternative platform

However, what Discord seemingly fails to realize is that users don't want age verification measures on the platform whatsoever, and more specifically, because of the security risks it poses due to data breaches on the platform.

A Discord alternative open-source app, Valour Software, took to criticizing Discord over the delay, stating: "You got everything wrong. The fact that you are still moving forward with any of it and are not using your billions in VC funding to legally fight for the privacy of your users is evidence that all you care about is getting that sweet, valuable facial recognition data."

While it's clear that not all users will be required to verify age via facial recognition (or use a form of government ID), Discord states it's able to note who is an adult via an "internal system that works to accurately determine your age", which doesn't help calm those who already have privacy fears.

It's the second time Discord has addressed the controversial decision, but it's a response to the backlash that won't sit well with users. Since Discord is still going forward with its age verification plans, but just at a later date, it seems as though Discord is effectively saying, "We'll wait until you all stop complaining, and we'll implement the changes later on anyway."

Fortunately, it has cut ties with Persona for its verification system, as the widely used verification platform suffered a major data breach recently, which was reported by Malwarebytes. Still, it feels like it's too little too late for Discord, as the damage has already been done from the moment it announced verification plans for users globally.

While there are regions where the new measures are mandatory due to new government laws, there are still many others that don't have to comply, and that has left many feeling that Discord has ulterior motives to essentially further monitor its users.

The backlash won't stop here, especially with users flocking to Discord alternatives such as Stoat, so Discord may eventually be forced to completely fall back on its age verification rollout, but those plans probably won't at this stage.

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Isaiah is a Staff Writer for the Computing channel at Tech Radar. He's spent over two years writing about all things tech, specifically games on PC, consoles, and handhelds. He started off at Game Rant in 2022 after graduating from Birmingham City University in the same year, before writing at PC Guide which included work on deals articles, reviews, and news on PC products such as GPUs, CPUs, monitors, and more. He spends most of his time finding out about the exciting new features of upcoming GPUs, and is passionate about new game releases on PC, hoping that the ports aren't a complete mess.

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Key Takeaways

• Discord delays its age verification plans and says 'we're listening' — but it's too little too late

• When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission

• Discord's age verification plans have been delayed to the 'second half' of 2026

• The delay is a response to the backlash from users who have voiced privacy concerns

• Discord still intends to roll out age verification for users with minor changes