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Why is Discord delaying the new age verification update until 2026?
Discord has officially postponed its mandatory global age verification rollout to the second half of 2026. The platform delayed this initiative after users raised severe privacy concerns regarding mandatory identification uploads.
Leadership Acknowledges Errors
The original plan required users to verify their age by March 2026 to maintain access to adult-restricted communities. On February 24, 2026, Discord co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy admitted the company communicated this strategy poorly. He clarified that the platform never intended to mandate facial scans or government IDs for every standard user account.
The Automated Verification Strategy
Moving forward, Discord will utilize an automated age inference model to assess user demographics. This background system evaluates account tenure, linked payment methods, and behavioral patterns within servers. Management estimates that 90 percent of users will pass this automated check and experience no service interruptions.
Security and Vendor Risks
Community hesitation stems largely from a data breach that occurred in the fall of 2025. Hackers infiltrated a third-party support provider and leaked 70,000 copies of user identification cards. Consequently, Discord terminated its brief January 2026 verification trial with the provider Persona and decided against a long-term partnership.