Discord Rolls Out Age Verification, Sparks FanDuel Sponsorship Confusion

Discord has started age verification, using an algorithmic model that avoids ID uploads for most users. Meanwhile, a FanDuel sponsorship test has users connecting the two events.

Ever opened Discord and been asked to prove you're old enough to be there? That's about to become a reality for some users. Discord has officially begun rolling out age-verification measures as of today. The company first announced age verification—and limits on under-18 accounts—back in February, but delayed full implementation until recently. Why the wait? According to an official blog post, the delay allowed Discord to include more age-assurance options, including several that don't rely on controversial biometric or digital ID systems. That's a big deal, especially after a well-publicized hack exposed tens of thousands of users' personal IDs. No one wants to hand over sensitive documents just to chat with friends.

So how will Discord figure out how old you are? Instead of demanding your ID, they're using an algorithmic combination of factors: how long your account has existed, the servers you're in, the games you play, and other signals detailed in a technical blog. Pretty clever, right? But there's a catch—this model isn't available in all territories, like the UK and Australia, both of which have enacted strict social media bans and age verification laws. So if you're in those regions, expect a different experience.

Discord assures users that "More than 90% of you won't be asked to confirm your age." That's reassuring. But the company also admits their model isn't flawless, and some accounts will need to verify their age to use a non-age-restricted Discord account. If you want to avoid uploading ID or video, you can use services like Apple Pay, Google Play, Google Wallet, or AgeKey, or enter a credit card number. It's not perfect, but at least there are alternatives to handing over your driver's license.

With any attempt at age verification comes controversy, and Discord users were quick to notice that age verification was rolling out at the exact same time as sponsored ads for sports betting website FanDuel were appearing for American users. Obviously, it's illegal to use FanDuel if you're under 21 (or 18 in some jurisdictions), so it didn't take much for social media users to assume a connection between the two events. We reached out to Discord for comment on the sponsorship, as well as other potential age-restricted product or service sponsorships in the future.

A Discord spokesperson responded, "We're taking a deliberate, user-first approach to evolving our ads business to add genuine value that connects naturally with our users' sports, gaming and entertainment interests." According to Discord, this sponsorship was a limited test in the United States and that "Discord's policies still prohibit ads for traditional real-money gaming, including casinos and sportsbooks." It was also noted that "Daily Fantasy Sports ads, and FanDuel brand ads on Discord are intended for adults, and we are using a range of age signals to help ensure they are age appropriate. We use age group signals to exclude teens from seeing inappropriate ads and to make sure they have the right settings." So it's not a free-for-all—Discord says they're being careful.

In the meantime, if you don't want to see sports betting ads on your Discord, go to Settings, then Data and Privacy, and scroll down to Sponsored Content. Then go to Manage Sponsored Content and choose to disable "Real Money Gaming." This will hopefully continue to work in the future for other advertising categories you may want to disable, as well. It's always good to have control over what you see.

What do you think about Discord's age verification and the FanDuel sponsorship? Will you be disabling real money gaming ads? Let us know in the comments!