Discord: Difference between revisions

'''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 toward PC gamers, Discord has expanded to multiple platforms, serving various communities and use cases, such as 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>

In 2019, Discord started randomly requiring phone verifications. Account will be locked until a phone number is added, regardless of account age or recent activity. The account will be automatically locked if the phone number is removed.<ref>[https://archive.today/2022.10.28-141642/https://wowana.me/blog/guess-im-done-with-discord.xht guess I'm done with Discord – wowana.me]</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/2025.08.31-190346/https://cadence.moe/blog/2020-06-06-why-you-shouldnt-trust-discord Why you shouldn't trust Discord - cadence's weblog (personal blog)]</ref>

*Users must accept the broad terms of service that allow unilateral changes.

Discord terms of service are lengthy and complex. In Oct 2025, just the base terms are 29 pages, 14th grade (Junior in college) reading level, with 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}}</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}}</ref><!-- the guidelines would probably say "(eulas of) despair" is "strong language" and that we should pick one that "convey[s] the relevant information without appearing combative" -->

**In some instances, the offending content is not shown to the user, nor any metadata, filenames, timestamps, or even the originating channel.

*No clear disclosure of how the content is used for platform improvement.

In September 2024, the [[Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC) released a comprehensive report examining Discord's data-collection practices as part of a broader investigation into social media platforms.<ref><templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles><cite class="citation web cs1">[https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Social-Media-6b-Report-9-11-2024.pdf "A Look Behind the Screens: Examining the Data Practices of Social Media and Video Streaming Services"] <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. ''Federal Trade Commission''. 11 Sep 2024. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240919133855/https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Social-Media-6b-Report-9-11-2024.pdf Archived] <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> from the original on 19 Sep 2024<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">13 Jul</span> 2025</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Federal+Trade+Commission&rft.atitle=A+Look+Behind+the+Screens%3A+Examining+the+Data+Practices+of+Social+Media+and+Video+Streaming+Services&rft.date=2024-09-11&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ftc.gov%2Fsystem%2Ffiles%2Fftc_gov%2Fpdf%2FSocial-Media-6b-Report-9-11-2024.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fconsumerrights.wiki%3ADiscord" class="Z3988"></span></ref>

The FTC concluded that Discord's data practices created unacceptable risks for users, particularly minors, and called for significant reforms to the platform's privacy protection measures.<ref><templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles><cite id="CITEREFTolentino2024" class="citation web cs1">Tolentino, Daysia (19 Sep 2024). [https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/social-media-companies-engaged-vast-surveillance-ftc-finds-calling-sta-rcna171814 "Social media companies engaged in 'vast surveillance,' FTC finds, calling status quo 'unacceptable'<span class="cs1-kern-right"></span>"]. ''NBC News''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240919171049/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/social-media-companies-engaged-vast-surveillance-ftc-finds-calling-sta-rcna171814 Archived] from the original on 19 Sep 2024<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">13 Jul</span> 2025</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=NBC+News&rft.atitle=Social+media+companies+engaged+in+%27vast+surveillance%2C%27+FTC+finds%2C+calling+status+quo+%27unacceptable%27&rft.date=2024-09-19&rft.aulast=Tolentino&rft.aufirst=Daysia&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Ftech%2Fsecurity%2Fsocial-media-companies-engaged-vast-surveillance-ftc-finds-calling-sta-rcna171814&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fconsumerrights.wiki%3ADiscord" class="Z3988"></span></ref>

Announced August 29th, 2025, and put into effect September 29th, 2025, Discord updated and re-iterated their [[forced arbitration]] clause, but gave users another option to opt-out of forced arbitration until October 29th, 2025 for existing accounts, or 30-days after initial agreement for new accounts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-29 |title=Discord's Terms of Service |url=https://discord.com/terms#16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251007023150/https://discord.com/terms#16 |archive-date=2025-10-07 |access-date=2025-10-07 |website=Discord.com}}</ref> Users are automatically opted into the forced arbitration clause if no action is taken to specifically opt-out of forced arbitration within 30 days. Instead, if the users chose to delete their accounts, the platform forced them to accept the terms in order to access their account, from which to delete it; making accepting the new terms mandatory.

In October 2025, Discord issued a press release announcing a "Security Incident Involving Third-Party Customer Service [5CA]", in which "the unauthorized party [...] gained access to a small number of government‑ID images (e.g., driver’s license, passport) from users who had appealed an age determination", as well as other personal data provided to support.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2025-10-03 |title=Update on a Security Incident Involving Third-Party Customer Service |url=https://discord.com/press-releases/update-on-security-incident-involving-third-party-customer-service |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251006163040/https://discord.com/press-releases/update-on-security-incident-involving-third-party-customer-service |archive-date=2025-10-06 |access-date=2025-10-07 |website=Discord}}</ref> The number of ID images accessed was approximately 70,000, and the third-party in question was later named as 5CA.<ref name=":2" /> The hackers involved in the breach have revealed the data was accessed via Zendesk.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hunt |first=Troy |date=2025-10-04 |title=X |url=https://x.com/troyhunt/status/1974558088847102289}}</ref><!-- Any better sources? The tweet referred to by this person is not archived. -->

=== Inactive account deletions===

Discord has a [[Inactive account deletion|deletion policy on inactive accounts]] in which accounts that are not used for 2 years or more may be scheduled to be deleted. Before the deletion of the inactive account, users may get an email or text message warning that their account is scheduled to be deleted. Such policies could adversely affect those who had good reasons to become inactive for a long time, such as hospitalization, prison incarceration, and being in totalitarian countries which have prolonged internet shutdowns. <ref>https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/5106714856215-Inactive-Account-Deletion</ref>

Reported often by users on the BBB<ref name=":0" />, Trustpilot <ref name=":1" />, and a dedicated subreddit<ref>{{Cite web |title=/r/BannedFromDiscord |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/BannedFromDiscord/}}</ref>, users have complained on Discord's moderation being vague. One such user reported their account being banned after being compromised on the BBB,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mir |first=Zain |date=Jul 23, 2025 |title=BBB Complaint |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-francisco/profile/computer-software/discord-inc-1116-918699/complaints?page=2#1116_918699_23643523 |access-date=Aug 1, 2025 |website=Better Business Bureau}}</ref> with an automated system handling the entire process, replying only with templates, with no human involved in the appeal process.<!-- Is {{main}} even necessary for this? (Idk the policy for this.) Regardless, here is archive.is of Zain Mir's post at the very bottom: https://archive.is/PhIdd so future editors don't have to spend 30 mins finding it (constantly new pages). I'm sure this part needs some rewriting anyway though -->

==Solution to delete an account without agreeing to updated ToS==

*Fill out the "Submit a request" form. (A web search for "Submit a request Discord" may help users find the form. Be sure to answer the question "What can we help you with" with "Help and Support" from the drop down.) '''Fill out the form with the same email address connected to the Discord account or this process may need to be restarted!''' In the form, under "Type of question" there is an option for "Account deletion request". Proceed to fill out and submit the form with any other relevant information. An email will then be sent with further instructions, including on how to proceed with account deletion, namely by responding to the email with "I confirm that I would like to delete the account associated with [user email]". '''This must be received from the same email as the associated Discord email.'''