Discord will require users to verify their age if they wish to access adult content or modify default safety settings, starting with a global rollout in early March.

The company announced that all users will automatically be placed under restricted 'teen-by-default' protections. These settings blur sensitive material, limit access to age-gated channels, and route messages from strangers to a separate inbox. To turn off these filters or enter adult spaces, users must confirm they are adults.

Users can choose between two verification methods: a facial age estimation scan, which processes a video selfie on their device, or submitting a government ID to a third-party vendor. Discord states that identification documents are deleted quickly after confirmation.

The changes follow a similar rollout in the UK and Australia last year. The announcement also introduced a 'Teen Council' for users aged 13 to 17, a teen-run group which will advise the company on future product and policy decisions.