Discord is not going to require everyone to upload an ID just to keep a normal account, but it will start requiring either an ID or a face-based age check for full access to adult / age‑restricted content, starting early March 2026.

📰 What’s actually changing?

From early March 2026, Discord is rolling out global age verification with “teen‑by‑default” settings.

  • All existing and new users worldwide will be put into a teen‑appropriate default.
  • To be treated as an adult on the platform, you will need to verify your age.
  • This is an expansion of age checks that already existed in places like the UK, EU, and Australia due to local safety laws.

So the change is less “new ID wall” and more “globalizing age checks that were already in testing or regional use.”

🔐 When will Discord require ID or face scan?

Discord is introducing mandatory age verification for adult content and age‑restricted spaces starting in early March 2026.

You will be prompted to verify if you:

  1. Try to access age‑restricted servers or channels (NSFW / 18+ style content).
  1. Try to unblur sensitive content or change sensitive media settings.
  1. Want to speak on certain “Stage” channels or use some adult‑only features.

Verification options:

  • Upload a picture of a government ID (like a driver’s license or passport).
  • Or do a face / video selfie age estimation using your camera.

Discord says the face estimation is not facial recognition, and that ID images are deleted after verification and not retained with your name or address.

🙋‍♀️ Will Discord require ID just to use the app?

For now, no, not in the blanket “show ID or lose your account” sense :

  • You can still:
    • Log in,
    • Use non‑age‑restricted servers,
    • DM friends you already know,
    • Hang out in non‑adult spaces
      without uploading ID , as long as you stay within the teen‑safe defaults.

What changes if you don’t verify:

  • Adult / age‑restricted servers will be hidden behind an age wall.
  • You won’t see or send content in age‑restricted channels.
  • Sensitive content will be blurred by default , and you can’t turn that off.
  • Some settings (like seeing DMs from strangers or speaking on certain stages) stay locked.

The more extreme scenario—requiring ID to keep any account at all —has not been announced as a global rule as of February 2026; current requirements are tied to age‑restricted access and certain features.

😬 Why is everyone on forums freaking out?

This topic is trending across Reddit, YouTube, and other forums because it combines privacy, government pressure, and a recent data scare.

Key concerns users keep raising:

  • Recent data breach : In late 2025, a third‑party vendor handling age appeals for Discord leaked images of government IDs and other personal info.
  • Government pressure / safety laws : Laws like UK Online Safety rules, EU regulations, and US proposals (like KOSA) push platforms toward stricter age checks.
  • Slippery slope : People worry “age verification today” becomes “real‑name internet accounts tomorrow.”
  • Biometric fear : Even if Discord says “no biometric storage,” many users are skeptical about face and ID data passing through any vendor.

A typical forum sentiment looks like:

“I just wanted a place to talk to friends and play games. Now I have to give a third‑party my ID or face just to see the servers I’ve been in for years?”

🧭 How to handle this as a user

Here’s a practical way to think about your options once early March 2026 hits:

  1. Decide how much you care about adult servers
    • If you mostly use Discord for friends, school, or casual communities, you might never feel the need to verify.
 * If your main communities are 18+ or NSFW, you’ll likely hit the age wall quickly.
  1. Choose verification method (if you go through with it)
    • Prefer less document exposure? Pick face age estimation (Discord says it runs on‑device and doesn’t store biometric templates).
 * Want something more “traditional”? Use an **ID upload** , which Discord says is deleted after verification and not stored with your identity.
  1. Lock down other privacy settings
    • Review data & privacy toggles, including personalization, ad/Quest tracking, and data sharing, especially in regions like the UK which got earlier policy changes.
  1. Have a backup plan
    • If you are not comfortable verifying at all, consider:
      • Keeping your activity to non‑age‑restricted servers,
      • Moving certain conversations to other platforms that better match your privacy comfort level,
      • Watching how policies evolve over the next months before deciding.

TL;DR

  • Discord will not instantly demand ID from every user just to log in.
  • Starting early March 2026 , it will require either ID or a face‑based age check if you want full access to adult / age‑restricted content and some advanced features.
  • If you stay in the teen‑safe defaults and avoid age‑gated spaces, you can still use Discord without handing over ID—but with more limits than before.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.