Discord Age Verification Policy Stores User Photos for Up to 7 Days, Players Alarmed

Discord is rolling out a major age verification policy set to go live globally in early March 2026, and users are already raising serious privacy concerns. The platform plans to introduce what it calls a “teenager by default” setting across all accounts, new and existing, which will block access to 18+ channels, servers with sensitive content, and direct messages from strangers. To regain full access, users will be required to complete a mandatory age verification process using either an official document or a video selfie assessment.

What Is Discord’s “Teenager by Default” Policy?

Starting in early March 2026, Discord will apply strict default privacy settings to all accounts on the platform. This means that without completing age verification, users will find a significant portion of the platform restricted. Access to adult content channels, servers flagged for sensitive material, and unsolicited messages from unknown users will all be blocked under the new default configuration.

The policy applies to both newly created accounts and those that already exist on the platform.

Age Verification Now Involves an External Company

One of the main points of concern among users involves how the age verification data is handled. Discord had previously suggested that verification photos would remain on the user’s own device. However, a current experiment running in the United Kingdom tells a different story.

In the UK trial, Discord is working with an external verification provider called Persona. Under this setup, the data does not stay on the device. Instead, it is sent to cloud storage, where it is held for up to seven days. Discord has stated that the system only captures the user’s date of birth and face during the process, and that any sensitive information visible on identity documents is automatically obscured.

Why Users Are Concerned About Persona

The community’s unease goes beyond just data storage. Persona, the third-party verification provider Discord is using, counts Peter Thiel’s investment fund among its backers. Thiel is the co-founder of Palantir, a data analytics company widely known for its work with US government agencies. For a platform like Discord, where many users place a high value on anonymity, these financial connections have added another layer of distrust toward the verification process.

Previous Verification Methods Were Easily Bypassed

Experts have pointed out that Discord is in a difficult position with this decision. The platform had to take stronger action on age verification because previous methods were relatively easy for younger users to bypass. The introduction of a third-party biometric verification system represents a more serious attempt to enforce age restrictions, but it comes at the cost of user privacy and anonymity.

What Users Must Agree To for Full Platform Access

For any Discord user who wants unrestricted access to the platform after early March 2026, the process now involves submitting biometric data to an external company. That data will be stored in the cloud for up to seven days before being deleted. Users who are not comfortable with this arrangement will face ongoing restrictions on what they can access within Discord.

The global rollout of this system is confirmed for early March 2026, following the ongoing trial in the UK.