Discord users worldwide were hit with some bad news (depending on how to look at it) last week when the company announced a global rollout for face scans and ID checks, forcing users to prove they are an adult if they want to access age-restricted content on the popular social platform. Users in the UK and Australia already know what this feels like, and if you’re wondering how age-restricted content is determined as such, Discord says it is using AI verification as part of the process.

“Human review” will also be used to figure out which content should be restricted or not. Soon, all users will be given a “teen-by-default” account, which limits their access to certain content on Discord. This includes age-gated spaces, sensitive content filters, a warning given to ‘teen’ users when they receive a friend request from someone they may not know, and more.

AI is being used to restrict content, but human review is still there

Discord has been getting all sorts of questions from its userbase ever since the big announcement, which came weeks ahead of the rollout at the start of March. In an interview with GamesMarket, a Discord representative commented on how age restriction works on the platform, pointing towards its “content safety filters” and new teen-by-default (or “safety-by-default”) approach.

“We do not automatically age-gate servers or content related to a specific game based on its rating alone. However, our Violence and Graphic Content Policy does not allow the uploading or sharing of any content depicting real violence, gore, or animal cruelty. Discord’s content safety filters are part of our broader Teen Safety Assist and safety-by-default approach. They help reduce exposure to certain categories of potentially sensitive image-based media, especially for teens.

“[These filters will be applied] with a combination of automated detection with AI validation and human review to proactively identify and age-gate servers.”

Source: Discord, via GamesMarket

Now, it’s not immediately apparent how much work human review takes in this process. It should be noted that Discord has over 32,000 public servers, more than 24,000 focused on gaming. There are many private spaces beyond that, with over 32.6 million servers as of January 2026, according to data compiled by analytics firm DemandSage. That’s likely where the AI comes in, assuming there is an AI-based system in place to automatically mark servers as potentially adult-only, to be reviewed manually.

Any creator or admin of a Discord server can already classify the server as an age-restricted (18+) community if they choose to, but the wider safety measures look to be using AI to force these restrictions. NSFW (Not Safe For Work) channels are also a possibility, and these channels are not viewable by teen users either, even if the server as a whole is not age-restricted.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.