Discord - Revision history

Tracerneo: -cat

2026-05-24T22:20:44Z

-cat

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:20, 24 May 2026
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	[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]		[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
	~~[[Category:Messaging clients]]~~
	[[Category:Social media companies]]		[[Category:Social media companies]]
	[[Category:Companies using forced arbitration clauses]]		[[Category:Companies using forced arbitration clauses]]

185.189.46.4: move forced arbitration (its been included since release and such isnt an incident), add date source

2026-05-16T07:12:10Z

move forced arbitration (its been included since release and such isnt an incident), add date source

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:12, 16 May 2026
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	===Freedom===		===Freedom===
	In order to use Discord, users must agree to the '''Discord ToS<ref name="terms-of-service3" />''' and '''Privacy Policy''', which includes agreeing to:<ref name="privacy-policy3" />		In order to use Discord, users must agree to the '''Discord ToS<ref name="terms-of-service3" />''' and '''Privacy Policy''', which includes agreeing to:<ref name="privacy-policy3" />
	*Mandatory [[Forced arbitration\|binding arbitration]] with {{Wplink\|class action}} waiver for U.S. users (From 19 October 2018)
	*Granting a perpetual, transferable license to user content		*Granting a perpetual, transferable license to user content
	*Broad terms of service, which allow for unilateral changes		*Broad terms of service, which allow for unilateral changes
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	Additionally, server owners have limited recourse if their servers are banned, and users are required to use Discord's payment processing for all monetary transactions.<!-- "Limited recourse" is quite vague. It would be helpful to outline what recourse is possible and why this is insufficient. -->		Additionally, server owners have limited recourse if their servers are banned, and users are required to use Discord's payment processing for all monetary transactions.<!-- "Limited recourse" is quite vague. It would be helpful to outline what recourse is possible and why this is insufficient. -->

	===Transparency===		=== Forced arbitration ===
			Since release<ref>{{Cite web \|date=12 Sep 2015 \|title=Discord - Terms of Service \|url=https://discordapp.com \|url-status=unfit \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521173532/https://discordapp.com/terms#:~:text=ARBITRATION \|archive-date=21 May 2017 \|access-date= \|website=Discord}}</ref>, Discord's [[Terms of Service\|terms of service]] have mandated [[Forced arbitration\|binding arbitration]] with {{Wplink\|class action}} waiver for U.S. users. Users can opt out by sending an 'opt-out notice' to arbitration-opt-out@discord.com within 90 days of registering their first account.'''<ref name="terms-of-service3" />'''

			=== Transparency ===
	Discord's terms of service are lengthy and complex. In October 2025, the base terms are 29 pages long, with a reading level of 14th grade (equivalent to two years of tertiary education) and an estimated reading time of 42 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Calculated using readabilitychecker.com based on current discord TOS. discord.com/terms \|url=https://readabilitychecker.com/url \|access-date=9 Oct 2025 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260210185029/https://readabilitychecker.com/url \|archive-date=10 Feb 2026}}</ref> The 2021 version of Discord's ToS would take an estimated 275+ hours to read.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=EULA of despair \|url=https://www.pilotlab.org/eulas-of-despair \|access-date=9 Oct 2025 \|website=Penn State University Pilot Lab \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216034102/https://www.pilotlab.org/eulas-of-despair \|archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>		Discord's terms of service are lengthy and complex. In October 2025, the base terms are 29 pages long, with a reading level of 14th grade (equivalent to two years of tertiary education) and an estimated reading time of 42 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Calculated using readabilitychecker.com based on current discord TOS. discord.com/terms \|url=https://readabilitychecker.com/url \|access-date=9 Oct 2025 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260210185029/https://readabilitychecker.com/url \|archive-date=10 Feb 2026}}</ref> The 2021 version of Discord's ToS would take an estimated 275+ hours to read.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=EULA of despair \|url=https://www.pilotlab.org/eulas-of-despair \|access-date=9 Oct 2025 \|website=Penn State University Pilot Lab \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216034102/https://www.pilotlab.org/eulas-of-despair \|archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>

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	==Incidents==		==Incidents==
	~~===Introduction of forced arbitration (''2018'')===~~
	In October 2018, [[forced arbitration]] was added to the [[Terms of Service\|terms of service]]. Users could opt out by sending an 'opt-out notice' to arbitration-opt-out@discord.com within 90 days of the ToS going in effect or registering their first account.'''<ref name="terms-of-service3" />'''

	===Child safety concerns (''2023'')===		===Child safety concerns (''2023'')===
	An [[wikipedia:NBC News\|NBC News]] investigation in June 2023 uncovered widespread child safety issues on Discord, revealing systemic problems with the platform's user protection measures.		An [[wikipedia:NBC News\|NBC News]] investigation in June 2023 uncovered widespread child safety issues on Discord, revealing systemic problems with the platform's user protection measures.

Sojourna: /* References */ Added one more.

2026-05-11T05:12:24Z

References: Added one more.

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:12, 11 May 2026
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	[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]		[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
			[[Category:Messaging clients]]
			[[Category:Social media companies]]
	[[Category:Companies using forced arbitration clauses]]		[[Category:Companies using forced arbitration clauses]]
	~~[[Category:Social media companies]]~~

Sojourna: /* References */ Updated categories.

2026-05-11T05:10:13Z

References: Updated categories.

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:10, 11 May 2026
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	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

	[[Category:~~Discord~~]]		[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
	[[Category:~~Forced~~ arbitration]]		[[Category:Companies using forced arbitration clauses]]
			[[Category:Social media companies]]

Sojourna at 02:47, 5 May 2026

2026-05-05T02:47:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:47, 5 May 2026
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	===Freedom===		===Freedom===
	In order to use Discord, users must agree to the '''Discord ToS<ref name="terms-of-service3" />''' and '''Privacy Policy''', which includes agreeing to:<ref name="privacy-policy3" />		In order to use Discord, users must agree to the '''Discord ToS<ref name="terms-of-service3" />''' and '''Privacy Policy''', which includes agreeing to:<ref name="privacy-policy3" />
	*Mandatory [[Forced arbitration\|binding arbitration]] with ~~[[class action~~\|class-action]] waiver for U.S. users (From 19 October 2018)		*Mandatory [[Forced arbitration\|binding arbitration]] with {{Wplink\|class action}} waiver for U.S. users (From 19 October 2018)
	*Granting a perpetual, transferable license to user content		*Granting a perpetual, transferable license to user content
	*Broad terms of service, which allow for unilateral changes		*Broad terms of service, which allow for unilateral changes

Litekin: Fixed my formatting mistake. oops, this isn't markdown

2026-05-03T04:34:26Z

Fixed my formatting mistake. oops, this isn't markdown

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:34, 3 May 2026
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	==Consumer friendly alternatives==		==Consumer friendly alternatives==

	* [~~Fluxer](~~https://fluxer.app/~~) [~~Fluxer~~'s GitHub~~](https://github.com/fluxerapp/fluxer)		*[https://fluxer.app/ Fluxer] [https://github.com/fluxerapp/fluxer Fluxer's GitHub]
	* [~~Zulip](~~https://zulip.com/~~) [~~Zulip~~'s GitHub~~](https://github.com/zulip/zulip/)		*[https://zulip.com/ Zulip][https://github.com/zulip/zulip/ Zulip's GitHub]

	*[https://stoat.chat/ Stoat] [https://github.com/stoatchat Stoat's GitHub]		*[https://stoat.chat/ Stoat] [https://github.com/stoatchat Stoat's GitHub]

Litekin: Added Fluxer and Zulip as consumer friendly alternatives. Removed Root as a consumer friendly alternative, it's closed source. This is a decent source for comparisons of Discord alternatives: https://github.com/DukePantarei/discord-alternatives-wishlist/blob/main/COMPARISON.md

2026-05-03T04:32:07Z

Added Fluxer and Zulip as consumer friendly alternatives. Removed Root as a consumer friendly alternative, it's closed source. This is a decent source for comparisons of Discord alternatives: https://github.com/DukePantarei/discord-alternatives-wishlist/blob/main/COMPARISON.md

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:32, 3 May 2026
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	==Consumer friendly alternatives==		==Consumer friendly alternatives==

			* [Fluxer](https://fluxer.app/) [Fluxer's GitHub](https://github.com/fluxerapp/fluxer)
			* [Zulip](https://zulip.com/) [Zulip's GitHub](https://github.com/zulip/zulip/)

	*[https://stoat.chat/ Stoat] [https://github.com/stoatchat Stoat's GitHub]		*[https://stoat.chat/ Stoat] [https://github.com/stoatchat Stoat's GitHub]
	*[https://www.rootapp.com/ Root]

	[[File:Discord Vague Infringement example.png\|thumb\|An example of how Discord handles its moderation from a user's perspective.]]		[[File:Discord Vague Infringement example.png\|thumb\|An example of how Discord handles its moderation from a user's perspective.]]

Sojourna: Added clean-up tag.

2026-04-20T01:25:36Z

Added clean-up tag.

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:25, 20 April 2026
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			{{Cleanup\|reason=References need to be properly formatted. See [[Template:Cite web]].}}
	{{CompanyCargo		{{CompanyCargo
	~~\|Description=American technology company that runs a platform for messaging and calling targeted towards gamers.~~
	\|Founded=2015		\|Founded=2015
	\|Industry=VoIP communications, instant messaging, videoconferences, content delivery, and social media		\|Industry=VoIP communications, instant messaging, videoconferences, content delivery, and social media
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	\|Website=https://discord.com		\|Website=https://discord.com
	\|CompanyAlias=Discord Inc.		\|CompanyAlias=Discord Inc.
			\|Description=American technology company that runs a platform for messaging and calling targeted towards gamers.
	}}		}}

	'''Discord''' is a proprietary VoIP and instant-messaging platform developed by Discord Inc. (formerly Hammer & Chisel, Inc.), co-founded by Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Gonzalez \|first=Guadalupe \|date=3 May 2018 \|title=There Are 2.6 Billion Online Gamers in the World. This Startup Just May Connect Them All \|url=https://www.inc.com/guadalupe-gonzalez/30-under-30-2018-discord.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503131556/https://www.inc.com/guadalupe-gonzalez/30-under-30-2018-discord.html \|archive-date=3 May 2018 \|access-date=13 Jul 2025 \|website=Inc.}}</ref> Launched in 2015, the service has grown to over 150 million monthly active users as of 2025. While initially marketed towards PC gamers, Discord has expanded to multiple platforms, serving various communities and use cases, including education.<ref name="about-company">{{Cite web \|date=15 Apr 2024 \|title=About Discord <nowiki>\|</nowiki> Our Mission and Values \|url=https://discord.com/company/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250608013037/https://discord.com/company \|archive-date=8 Jun 2025 \|access-date=13 Jul 2025 \|website=Discord}}</ref>		'''Discord''' is a proprietary VoIP and instant-messaging platform developed by Discord Inc. (formerly Hammer & Chisel, Inc.), co-founded by Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Gonzalez \|first=Guadalupe \|date=3 May 2018 \|title=There Are 2.6 Billion Online Gamers in the World. This Startup Just May Connect Them All \|url=https://www.inc.com/guadalupe-gonzalez/30-under-30-2018-discord.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503131556/https://www.inc.com/guadalupe-gonzalez/30-under-30-2018-discord.html \|archive-date=3 May 2018 \|access-date=13 Jul 2025 \|website=Inc.}}</ref> Launched in 2015, the service has grown to over 150 million monthly active users as of 2025. While initially marketed towards PC gamers, Discord has expanded to multiple platforms, serving various communities and use cases, including education.<ref name="about-company">{{Cite web \|date=15 Apr 2024 \|title=About Discord <nowiki>\|</nowiki> Our Mission and Values \|url=https://discord.com/company/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250608013037/https://discord.com/company \|archive-date=8 Jun 2025 \|access-date=13 Jul 2025 \|website=Discord}}</ref>

Sojourna: /* Incidents */

2026-04-20T01:24:05Z

Incidents

Show changes

Sojourna: /* Consumer impact summary */ References should not be placed in section headers.

2026-04-20T01:18:32Z

Consumer impact summary: References should not be placed in section headers.

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:18, 20 April 2026
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	==Consumer impact summary==		==Consumer impact summary==
			===Privacy===
	===Privacy<ref name="terms-of-service3">[https://discord.com/terms/ "Discord's Terms of Service"]. April 15, 2024. ''Discord''. Retrieved January 16, 2025. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260216033955/https://discord.com/terms/ Archived])</ref>~~===~~		Mentioned within the '''Discord ToS'''<ref name="terms-of-service3">[https://discord.com/terms/ "Discord's Terms of Service"]. April 15, 2024. ''Discord''. Retrieved January 16, 2025. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260216033955/https://discord.com/terms/ Archived])</ref> and '''Privacy Policy''':<ref name="privacy-policy3">[https://discord.com/privacy/ "Discord Privacy Policy"]. April 15, 2024. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260216034021/https://discord.com/privacy/ Archived]) ''Discord''. Retrieved January 16, 2025.</ref><ref name="community-guidelines2">[https://discord.com/guidelines/ "Discord Community Guidelines"]. April 15, 2024. ''Discord''. Retrieved January 16, 2025. ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260216015550/https://discord.com/guidelines Archived])</ref>
	~~Mentioned within the '''Discord ToS<ref name="terms-of-service3" />'''~~ and '''Privacy Policy''':<ref name="privacy-policy3">[https://discord.com/privacy/ "Discord Privacy Policy"]. April 15, 2024. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260216034021/https://discord.com/privacy/ Archived]) ''Discord''. Retrieved January 16, 2025.</ref><ref name="community-guidelines2">[https://discord.com/guidelines/ "Discord Community Guidelines"]. April 15, 2024. ''Discord''. Retrieved January 16, 2025. ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260216015550/https://discord.com/guidelines Archived])</ref>
	*Collects a variety of user data, such as contact details; user generated messages and posts, including drafts; voice messages; payment information; server participation; device information, such as games being playing; log and event information related to use of Discord services as well as information from [[Web cookie\|cookies]] and third party sources<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2025-08-29 \|title=Privacy Policy: The information we collect \|url=https://discord.com/privacy#3 \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-20 \|website=Discord \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128220720/https://discord.com/privacy \|archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</ref>		*Collects a variety of user data, such as contact details; user generated messages and posts, including drafts; voice messages; payment information; server participation; device information, such as games being playing; log and event information related to use of Discord services as well as information from [[Web cookie\|cookies]] and third party sources<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2025-08-29 \|title=Privacy Policy: The information we collect \|url=https://discord.com/privacy#3 \|url-status=live \|access-date=2026-02-20 \|website=Discord \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128220720/https://discord.com/privacy \|archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</ref>
	*Claims broad rights to user-generated content		*Claims broad rights to user-generated content