The post Discord Downplays Timing, Impact of Its New Age-Verification Policy appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

In brief Age checks will only apply to age-restricted servers and certain safety settings, Discord said. Discord says its “teen-by-default” rollout is not driven by ongoing ID requirement regulations. Privacy advocates say the change still asks users to trust the company’s claims about how their data is handled. Discord attempted to reassure users on Tuesday about its plans to implement age-verification technology, saying most will not need to scan their faces or upload government IDs. Under its new age-assurance system, expected in March, users will only be required to verify when accessing 18+ servers and channels, or when attempting to modify certain safety settings. “As part of our ongoing commitment to teen safety and wellbeing, we decided to evolve how the platform helps keep users safer by introducing teen-by-default, a teen-appropriate default experience for all new and existing users worldwide,” Savannah Badalich, the Global Head of Product Policy at Discord, told Decrypt.  In a Tuesday post on X, the official Discord account said the “vast majority” of users can continue using the platform without ever being asked to confirm their age. “We use age prediction to determine, with high confidence, when a user is an adult,” it wrote. “This allows many adults to access age-appropriate features without completing an explicit age check.” The move follows online backlash and users seeking alternatives, with some reports estimating a surge of more than 10,000% in online searches in February compared to the month prior. Discord said most adult users will be assigned to an age group using internal age-prediction models based on account signals. Only when those systems cannot determine adulthood with high confidence will users be asked to complete additional verification through third-party partners. When verification is required, Discord said facial age estimation runs entirely on a user’s device and is…

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Filed under: News - @ February 11, 2026 12:25 am