Discord delays its global age verification rollout and cuts ties with Peter Thiel-backed verification vendor after upsetting almost everyone on Earth: 'We've made mistakes'
PC Gamer
by Lincoln Carpenter February 24, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Discord has indefinitely delayed its global age verification policy after facing widespread criticism over privacy concerns and its partnership with Peter Thiel-backed identity verification firm Persona. In a blog post, co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy acknowledged that the company had "missed the mark" by introducing the new policy earlier this month. He revealed that Discord is revising its strategy to prioritize transparency and offer alternative verification options while addressing user skepticism about data collection.
The backlash intensified due to Discord's ties to Persona, whose connections to controversial figures like Peter Thiel raised concerns among users. Vishnevskiy admitted that these fears were valid and vowed to provide greater clarity on how age verification works. This includes publishing a detailed technical blog post explaining its automated age determination systems before the global rollout. The company also承诺 to avoid transmitting user data during age verification, ensuring all processing is done entirely on-device.
Discord's new approach includes expanding verification options, such as credit card verification, and offering full transparency on vendor practices. The platform will document every partner's security and privacy policies, including those involved in age verification. Additionally, Discord plans to introduce a "spoiler channel" option for communities that want to discuss sensitive topics without enforcing
Verticals
gamingpc
Originally published on PC Gamer on 2/24/2026