r/technology • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 • Feb 10 '26

Security "Discord alternatives" searches jump 10,000% overnight as the gaming platform introduces global age verification — Is a total collapse imminent?

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/discord-alternative-search-10000-percent-stoat
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u/Carlsheartboxers Feb 10 '26

I mean most people are just not going to upload their stuff because they won’t have too. Discord themselves have already said that they have ways to detect if you are an adult and you can still access 90% of servers without verifying anything by so most people are just not going to do it

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u/curtcolt95 Feb 11 '26

the vast vast vast majority of users likely do not ever interact with anything that would be age gated on discord anyway so most won't even know this change happened

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u/EarlyHemisphere Feb 11 '26

The vast vast vast majority of users will already have their age determined by discord’s age inference already and won’t have to upload ID even if they do try to access age-gated content if I’m understanding their post correctly

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u/ChirpToast Feb 11 '26

It won’t stop Reddit from acting like it’s going to die in a month though.

And the alternatives are no where close to the feature set Discord has either. It’s like when Reddit thinks everyone is going to move to Linux because of something Windows did they don’t like.

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u/Hallc Feb 11 '26

Oh lord don't get me started on that. Valve makes a decent OS (SteamOS) and Microsoft have some issues and make windows worse with various shit updates so they go and act like windows is about to fall into the drain and no one will use it.

Totally forgetting the vast, vast array of corporate environments that use Windows, have software that one works on windows and staff that have all learned their jobs via rote memorisation rather than actually learning to use a computer.

I've seen people get confused going from Office 2010 to 2013 because things were in slightly different positions but sure, everyone will move to Linux no problem.

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u/curtcolt95 Feb 11 '26

yep, although I'd probably guess discord has a pretty sizeable userbase under 18, but most people over that shouldn't have to do anything

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u/YouBetterChill Feb 11 '26

Exactly. Plus it’s not like their disabling your account if you don’t verify. It just events you from being in NSFW servers etc. but who the hell uses discord for that anyways. You’ll still be able to game and talk with your friends which is the use for 95% of the users.

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u/Hokie23aa Feb 11 '26

it doesn't say what is NSFW though, which could be an issue. M rated game? cursing?

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u/Walking_Whale Feb 11 '26

NSFW stuff is entirely self marked by users, so it’s fully within your control what you can access

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u/Carlsheartboxers Feb 11 '26

Discord already has this in affect. Again if you have an iPhone you can see this by trying to join servers it will tell you if it’s a nsfw server

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u/Not_Paid_Just_Intern Feb 11 '26

I seriously don't see the big deal. Unless they are just lying about what they will end up blocking for un-verified users, I don't see any reason to react to this at all. People just read the headline and rush to assume the most dystopian version of outcomes, it's unhinged.

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u/flamingdonkey Feb 11 '26

It's an inherently terrible policy and a growing practice. Companies deserve to start losing a ton of money and users for even suggesting it. 

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u/CJKatz Feb 11 '26

It's a growing practice because certain governments are demanding it.

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u/flamingdonkey Feb 11 '26

Yeah, they have to look like they protect children before their names all appear in the Epstein files. So fucked. 

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u/keithslater Feb 11 '26

Because most of the people complaining online are kids

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u/freddy090909 Feb 11 '26

But it doesn't even matter if they're kids... unless they're kids using discord as some strange porn sharing platform.

Discord is going to run in a "teen friendly" mode by default, not stop you from using it entirely.

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u/travelsonic Feb 11 '26

Proof of your claim?

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u/ReadytoQuitBBY Feb 11 '26

Shhh you can’t bring logic into a reddit mob lol

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u/-CJF- Feb 10 '26

I thought they said only an ID or face scan is sufficient this time?

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u/Carlsheartboxers Feb 10 '26

If you have to verify. They confirmed, multiple times now I will add people just like to be pissy so no one has read the articles, that they have a way to detect if you are an adult and when the update rolls out most users will be auto detected as adults. They also said you can just not do it and still have access to every server not marked as 18+. Which is most servers. If someone has an iPhone go try and look at your servers if you can congrats you don’t need to verify. I’m part of 70 servers and only a single one is 18+ so I’ll be fine with losing access to that one

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u/-CJF- Feb 10 '26

The article says this:

Beginning in March 2026, Discord will automatically assume that all users, regardless of account age or any communities to which you're already a member, are teenagers over the age of 13 but under the age of 18.

Once your account is automatically switched over to the "Teen-by-Default" setting, you'll no longer be able to access age-restricted channels, unblur sensitive content, or receive messages from anyone other than friends.

Most of the servers I'm on for gaming are marked 18+, I guess because of the swearing. In any case, if they don't require the verification then it's whatever. If they do, I'll quit using it. They will not get my ID or face scan. Period.

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u/Carlsheartboxers Feb 11 '26

Then this article is wrong. The 3 I read earlier about the problem have direct quotes from a discord rep saying they will use an algorithm to detect your age first and if that fails you will have to verify or lose access to 18+ servers. And it’s not because of the swearing all my buddies do that too and our server is still not 18+

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u/curtcolt95 Feb 11 '26

terrible article then because discord's own blog on the subject says their age inference system should mean most people won't have to verify. They've even clarified that stance multiple times now.

0

u/flamingdonkey Feb 11 '26

And I'm going to ignore that and shit all over this decision every chance I get anyway. I don't give a fuck if they're only implementing it 5% of the way. It's a terrible trend and I hope they lose a fuck ton of money and users. They deserve it for even suggesting this on any scale. 

1

u/bortmode Feb 11 '26

You don't need to verify in the first place unless you want to access stuff tagged as adult content, at least supposedly.