Fury over Discord’s age checks explodes after shady Persona test in UK
Ars Technica
by
Ashley Belanger
February 20, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Discord has faced significant backlash after announcing a new global age verification policy that defaults users to teen experiences until their ages are verified. The announcement came shortly after a third-party breach exposed 70,000 Discord users' government IDs from a former age-check partner's services. Critics expressed outrage over the platform’s decision to collect more government IDs for verification, especially given the recent data breach. In an effort to reassure users, Discord claimed that most would not need to show physical ID, instead relying on AI-powered video selfies to estimate ages. However, this raised separate privacy concerns among many.
The controversy was further fueled by Discord’s suggestion that behavioral signals might eventually replace age checks for most users in the future. This downplayed the potential risks of mishandling sensitive data, leaving many skeptical about the platform’s commitment to user privacy. The timing of the announcement, coming so soon after the third-party breach, added credibility to these concerns.
Tech and privacy advocates argue that platforms like Discord must prioritize transparency when handling user data, especially when it comes to age verification and government-issued IDs. The backlash highlights a growing tension between enforcing safety measures and protecting user privacy in tech spaces. For readers interested in tech, this story underscores the importance of understanding how platforms collect, store, and secure sensitive information—and why they should be cautious about new policies that could compromise their data.
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Originally published on Ars Technica on 2/20/2026