Discord's new age ID verification: How it works, internet reactions, and alternatives

Discord will implement a global age-verification system in March 2026 that defaults all users to a teen-appropriate experience, requiring some to verify via video selfie or government ID, while also using an age-inference model to auto-verify many accounts. The move faces backlash due to a prior third-party vendor breach that exposed ~70,000 ID photos and other data, though Discord claims its new vendor processes video selfies on-device and deletes IDs quickly, and many users may never see verification prompts.