Discord Delays Global Age Verification to 2026, Expands Transparency and Options

Discord has pushed its global age-verification rollout to the second half of 2026 after backlash and confusion. The company says it will add more age-verification options (including credit-card-based checks), publish a list of verification vendors, and require on-device facial-age estimation with a strict on-device rule, while offering spoiler channels as an alternative to age-gated content. In regions with laws mandating verification (UK, Australia, soon Brazil), adults will verify via vendors like k-ID to access age-restricted content. Discord also plans to publish its age-estimation methodology, open-source its safety engine (Osprey), and note that Persona did not meet the on-device bar, prompting greater vendor transparency. The plan reportedly would affect about 10% of accounts, and Discord emphasizes it does not read users’ messages.