- Discord’s age verification plans have been ‘clarified’ in an updated press release
- Several Nitro users canceled their subscription plans after the announcement.
- Discord Post X Has Been Noticed by the Community Due to a Recent Data Breach
Discord is facing backlash from its users due to its recent announcement of expanded age verification plans, and its recent attempts at damage control have been unsuccessful.
In an updated press release, Discord added a “clarification” about its approach to its age verification plans, which are scheduled to launch in March. The press release further highlights that not all users will be required to complete facial or ID scans to continue using the platform.
Both the announcement and the updated press release have led users to cancel Nitro subscriptions, with many on Reddit and X encouraging current subscribers to follow suit. According to Google Trends, an increase in searches for ‘Discord alternatives’ is also evident.
In particular, Discord claims that the “vast majority” of users will be able to continue using the app as normal, without having to confirm their age. This is made possible by Discord’s claims that it will be able to confirm age groups through the information it already has on user activity and age predictions for accessing age-restricted servers or channels.
However, for users who must complete age verifications, Discord states that “face scans never leave your device” and that IDs are only used to verify your age and are subsequently deleted.
If you are deeply concerned about Discord implementing age verification globally, you should cancel your Nitro. from r/pcmasterrace
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The same press release update was noticed by the community on X, as Discord faced a major data breach in 2025, which leaked 70,000 government IDs. This directly contradicts their claims that personal selfies and age verification IDs are removed, and X users were quick to highlight the issue in their responses.
It’s no surprise that users are doggedly searching for alternatives to Discord, as this launch of age verification in March puts security and privacy at significant risk, despite Discord’s claims.
Many have also suggested that Discord’s press release indicates that it is already “spying” on its users, as it claims that many adults will not need to complete age checks due to the “information we already have.”
It’s pretty evident that Discord is in a state of damage control and mass cancellations of Nitro subscriptions won’t do it any favors.
Opinion: Discord, stop punishing everyone for everyone else’s lack of parental control
We all want greater online safety for children at all times and, fortunately, there are already many measures in place to facilitate this. The same applies to video games and entertainment with age ratings, to restrict minors’ access to such content.
However, it seems as if everyone is now being punished for others’ lack of parental control, at the cost of personal information being leaked.
Discord Family Center exists to ensure that parents can monitor their children and their activity, and while this is not completely foolproof, it seems like Discord is going the extreme route for additional child protection, but frankly, it doesn’t seem like those are Discord’s true intentions, as they would have implemented such changes a long time ago if that were the case.
It’s also worth noting that this essentially comes directly from the new UK Online Safety Act, but was initially only rolled out to UK users. Discord is taking it a step further by enforcing this to all users around the world, when it really isn’t necessary, and I don’t blame anyone looking to walk away from the platform forever unless they retract this decision.
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