Discord’s new age verification requirements have been delayed following mass backlash over privacy and data protection concerns.

The instant messaging app confirmed on Tuesday (24 February) that it is pushing back an update that will require all adult users to undergo ID checks and face scans to use certain features.

Announced earlier this month, the planned security update, which will use third-party age assurance software to dictate what kind of content users are allowed to see, was originally meant to roll out in the beginning of March.

However, it was met with severe backlash from users calling for a mass boycott over concerns regarding how third-party companies store their data.

These concerns rose after the chat app’s age assurance software, which was first implemented in response to the UK’s Online Safety Act, was hacked in October 2025, potentially leaking over 70,000 photos of official government IDs and face scans.

Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord’s CEO, admitted that the company “missed the mark” by rushing the update, confirming in a statement that the global rollout had been delayed to the second half of 2026.

“Let me be upfront: we knew this rollout was going to be controversial,” he said. “Any time you introduce something that touches identity and verification, people are going to have strong feelings. Rightfully so.

“In hindsight, we should have provided more detail about our intentions and how the process works.”

The delay, Vishnevskiy said, would allow developers to implement an array of new changes based on user feedback. They include adding more verification options, such as credit card verification, adding a new “spoiler channel” option allowing users to opt-out of certain chats, and the addition of age assurance data in its transparency reports.

A technical blog detailing how the age verification system works will also be made available prior to its global launch, which does not have a specific date at the time of reporting.

Vishnevskiy clarified that Discord would still meet legal obligations, such as with the UK’s Online Safety Act, where it is forced to do so, but will only expand the feature globally once it has made the proposed changes.

“We’ve made mistakes. I won’t pretend we haven’t,” he continued. “I know that being a bigger company now means our mistakes have bigger consequences and erode trust faster. I don’t expect one blog post to fix that.

“We’re listening. We’ll get this right. And when we ship, you’ll be able to see for yourselves.”

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