Discord Rolls Out Expanded Teen Safety Protections and Launches First Teen Council.

Discord is expanding teen safety protections worldwide with new default settings and an age assurance system designed to create safer experiences for younger users. The platform is also opening applications for its first Teen Council, inviting US teens ages 13 to 17 to help shape the company's safety and wellbeing initiatives.

The announcement marks Discord's latest effort to address teen safety concerns on the platform, which hosts over 200 million active users monthly. The company has faced scrutiny in recent years over content moderation and user safety, particularly for minors who use the platform for gaming communities, school groups, and hobby-based servers.

The upcoming teen safety features will include "teen-by-default" settings that automatically apply stricter privacy and safety controls for users under 18. While Discord has not disclosed the full technical specifications of the age assurance system, the company indicated it will help verify user ages more reliably than simple self-reported birthdate fields.

These protections will roll out globally in the coming months, extending beyond Discord's primary markets in North America and Europe. The move follows similar safety initiatives from other platforms like Roblox and YouTube, which have implemented teen-specific features in response to regulatory pressure and parent concerns.

Discord previously expanded its open source safety tool to protect users across multiple platforms, demonstrating the company's broader commitment to safety infrastructure.

Alongside the technical updates, Discord is recruiting for its inaugural Teen Council. The advisory group will provide direct input on safety features, community guidelines, and product decisions affecting teenage users. Applications are currently open only to US residents ages 13 to 17, though the company may expand to other regions in future cohorts.

The Teen Council represents a shift toward including youth voices in platform governance, a practice that advocacy groups have long recommended. Other social platforms, including Instagram and TikTok, have launched similar youth advisory boards in recent years.

Selected council members will participate in regular meetings with Discord's safety and product teams, review proposed features, and share feedback on how policy changes impact teen users. Discord has not specified compensation or time commitment details for participants.

The timing of Discord's announcement aligns with increased regulatory scrutiny of social platforms' handling of minors. Several US states have passed or proposed laws requiring age verification and stricter default settings for users under 18. The European Union's Digital Services Act similarly mandates enhanced protections for minors across online platforms.

Discord's platform structure, which organizes users into topic-based servers rather than broad social feeds, presents unique moderation challenges. While the decentralized approach allows niche communities to thrive, it also creates thousands of semi-private spaces that are difficult to monitor at scale.

The company has gradually expanded safety tools over the past two years, including AutoMod features for server administrators and improved reporting mechanisms. These latest changes indicate Discord is moving from reactive moderation toward proactive safety architecture, particularly for its youngest users.

Interested teens can apply for the Teen Council through Discord's official channels, with selections expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The platform has not provided a specific timeline for when the expanded teen safety protections will become active globally.