February 12, 2026
Anonymity? Press F to ID
Discord Just Killed Anonymity
ID checks hit Discord: gamers rage, fact-checkers clap back, exodus to DIY chat rooms
TLDR: Discord is adding age checks, sparking anger, confusion, and talk of fleeing to Matrix or old-school IRC. Commenters argue it's not fully mandatory, slam past anti-anonymity tactics, and rally around self-hosted servers and Jitsi—privacy vs convenience becomes the new battleground.
Discord dropped the ID-check bomb, and the comment section lit up like a loot crate. Some users are screaming “anonymity is dead,” while others are already packing their bags for Matrix and dusting off ancient apps. One skeptic asked if this was just for adult content, while another swore Discord’s been anti-anonymous for years, saying the platform quietly pushes phone numbers and tracks “fingerprints.” The retro crowd cheered a comeback tour for old-school tools: one creator spun up IRC (an old chat system) with TheLounge and plugged in Zoom/Jitsi for voice, linking their build at chat.crilly.au. Cue the memes: “Press F to ID” and “scan your passport to send a meme.”
But the plot twist? A sharp-eyed commenter says the doom headlines are overblown: age checks won’t lock you out of basic chat and voice, only certain features. Meanwhile, Matrix’s main server warned it might also need “privacy-preserving” age checks thanks to laws like the UK’s Online Safety Act—sending drama levels into boss-fight mode. The fediverse fix is simple on paper: self-host a server and skip IDs. The real split is privacy vs convenience—clunky DIY chats and fewer gamer features, or hand over your ID and keep your Discord perks. Choose your grind.
Key Points
- •The article asserts Discord will roll out mandatory age verification for all users next month.
- •It claims many users are moving from Discord to Matrix, an open-source, decentralized chat platform.
- •According to the article, Matrix.org’s main homeserver intends to comply with laws like the UK’s Online Safety Act and is exploring privacy-preserving age verification.
- •Matrix’s federated architecture allows users to self-host homeservers (e.g., on Raspberry Pi or VPS) and avoid relying on matrix.org.
- •The article notes trade-offs in switching to Matrix, including missing features like seamless game streaming and robust voice channels.