Discord Delays Global Age Verification Amid Privacy Concerns, User Backlash

• Discord postpones its global age verification policy to the second half of 2026 due to user privacy concerns and backlash.
• CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy acknowledged the company "missed the mark" and understood user skepticism about data collection.
• The initial policy, announced in February, included face scanning or ID uploads for users whose age couldn't be determined, sparking widespread criticism.
• Users cited a recent security breach involving a third-party vendor that exposed government ID photos of up to 70,000 Discord users.
• Discord is exploring alternative verification methods beyond face scanning and ID uploads, such as credit card verification, and will not block unverified users from core features.