The messaging platform Discord announced new safety measures on Monday as it continues to face controversy over online child sexual abuse and violent extremism.
All Discord users will have to verify their ages to view content marked “sensitive” or access age-restricted group chats and features, and the platform will attach warnings to “friend requests” from strangers, among other measures, Discord said in a statement. The platform has been subject to investigations by law enforcement, members of Congress, and media outlets such as the Daily Caller News Foundation over child pornography and sexual predators, including from Satanist cult-like networks that the FBI considers a leading threat to children online.
Users will confirm their ages by submitting photos of their faces or identification, according to the statement. “Some users may be asked to use multiple methods if more information is needed to assign an age group,” the company said.
The new restrictions will also ensure that only verified adults can speak aloud in Discord’s live audio chats called “stages.” Additionally, Discord will filter private messages from strangers to a separate inbox, a setting that can only be changed by a verified adult, the Monday statement said. The platform will deploy new artificial intelligence “that runs in the background to help determine whether an account belongs to an adult, without always requiring users to verify their age,” Discord added.
Discord previously rolled out the new safety features in the United Kingdom and Australia but will now apply them globally, the company said. A new “Teen Council” composed of youth aged 13-17 will advise the company with “authentic teen perspectives.”
“We design our products with teen safety principles at the core and will continue working with safety experts, policymakers, and Discord users to support meaningful, long-term wellbeing for teens on the platform,” said Savannah Badalich, head of product policy at Discord.
Discord crime has skyrocketed since the app’s 2015 launch, despite its stated commitment to safety.
More than 650 federal court cases have involved Discord since its inception, with a quarter filed in 2025, a 36% increase in 2024, WBAL TV reported. Child exploitation comprised the biggest category of cases, accounting for nearly half, the outlet found. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and parents of alleged victims accused Discord of being a haven for predators in multiple lawsuits, the DCNF previously reported.
Satanist pedophile groups such as “764” — named for its teenage founder’s zip code — became so prevalent on social media and gaming platforms that the FBI created a new classification for them: “Nihilistic Violent Extremists” (NVEs). These networks convince minors to join chat rooms, groom them with violent or sexual content, solicit sexual images from them and extort them into self-harm or suicide, according to authorities. Offenders have found multiple ways to evade Discord bans, including by deleting harmful content within a certain timeframe or spreading Discord invites via other sites, the DCNF previously found.
Similar groups also encourage mass shootings and other violent attacks, according to law enforcement and previous DCNF reporting. One Wisconsin teenager linked to the Satanic child abuse cult “Order of Nine Angles” pleaded guilty in January to killing his parents as part of a plot to assassinate President Donald Trump, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.
Becca Spinks, an independent researcher who reports NVEs to law enforcement, told the DCNF she is generally pleased with Discord’s new promises despite privacy concerns.
“I especially appreciate how they incorporated safeguards for privacy concerns,” Spinks said. “But I can see why people would be concerned. I would be too. I’m a staunch advocate against age verification via ID and biometrics.”
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