What is Discord? Safety guide for parents

Launched in 2015, Discord is a social platform for people with similar interests to share and communicate.

It is popular among online gaming communities, offering a way for users to communicate and share outside of the games themselves. For single-player games, Discord offers a way to build community that users otherwise wouldn’t have.

The platform uses servers to connect people to one another. Servers generally follow a particular focus or theme where people can discuss and exchange images, links and information. These servers offer both text channels and voice chat via a microphone on various devices.

Servers identified by a hashtag (#) are text channels, which are the most popular. Users share messages as well as images and GIFs.

Voice channels have a speaker icon next to them. When users join, they automatically hear ongoing conversations and can join in. Additionally, a chat function like those available in text channels lets users communicate in multiple ways at once.

Users can be invited to servers or find links online to access them. The person who set up the server usually sets some ground rules about who it is for and the expected behaviour. They can also provide strict guidelines for filtering out explicit content and ensuring their moderators’ accounts are secure.

What is Discord Nitro?

Discord Nitro is a premium version of the platform. The subscription lets users customise their profiles, use a different avatar in each server and use custom emojis anywhere. Users also have access to better-quality videos, upload sizes and more.

Nitro prices vary depending on what you want included and can start at $2.99 USD/month.

You must be 13 or older to use Discord, according to their Terms of Service.

However, Apple’s App Store rates Discord 17+ for a range of reasons, including “Frequent/Intense Mature/Suggestive Themes” and “Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content and Nudity.”

Similarly, Google Play rates the app as ‘Parental Guidance’ because of user interaction and in-app purchases.

Because users may share images on text channels or engage in voice chat, children and young people run the risk of exposure to inappropriate content or language.

Is Discord safe for your child?

Discord offers a way for users to connect with other people, which can support digital wellbeing. However, it’s important that you:

• Make sure your child is 13+ and mature enough to use the platform safely;
• Talk to them regularly about their time and safety on the platform;
• Help them set restrictions to make their experience safer.

Children of all ages are likely to encounter risks on the platform but taking the proper precautions to develop their digital resilience can minimise these risks.

Discord can be a powerful tool for teens to discover other people and communities with similar interests. This may be from playing a video game, but it can also be any other interests, such as playing an instrument, liking a favourite artist or reading books from a favourite author.

This type of platform is particularly useful for young people who may face additional barriers offline such as those in the LGBTQ+ community, those who are neurodivergent or those who are in care.

Take the time to check in with your child to make sure you are across who they chat with. Additionally, encourage them to always keep conversations positive and appropriate. These conversations can also help you equip them with the tools to deal with any risky situations that they may face online.

Inappropriate servers

Some Discord servers contain adult content and are labelled as only accessible to those over 18 years old. Anyone who opens the channel sees a warning message that lets them know that it might contain graphic content and asks them to confirm they are over 18.

Encourage your teen to report servers which contain adult material but are not appropriately labelled.

Live video and location tracking (strictly opt-in)

The conversations in Discord are private to the group, so it’s less open and visible than other social networks. Along with this, you can type, talk, listen and watch live videos of other users. There is also a ‘Nearby’ feature that allows you to add friends who have the location features on their device turned on that are physically nearby.

In-app purchases and donations

In addition to the subscription fee for Discord Nitro, users can also spend money on other users. Users can donate to channels they follow or join paid-only servers. Additionally, users who stream on Discord can monetise their videos on services like YouTube. It’s important to discuss money management with your child so they can understand the importance of choosing what’s best to spend their money on.

Discord’s 2024 Transparency Report reveals that 18.97% of users reported harassment and bullying. Just under 4% of reports also related to child safety.

The platform has some safety measures, including:

• the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to detect abuse, scams and phishing
• dedicated moderators who help make the platform safe
• blocking and reporting features
• Discord Family Centre for teens

Discord offers the following privacy and security features you can enable.

Filter inappropriate content out of direct messages

Safe Direct Messaging offers a traffic-light colour-coded system to determine whether messages should be checked for inappropriate content. This can be found in the Privacy & Safety menu:

• Keep me safe
  (Scan direct message from everyone)
• My friends are nice
  (Scan direct messages from everyone unless they are a friend)
• Do not scan
  (Direct messages will not be scanned for explicit content)

Find out more at Discord Parental controls

Report Something

If you see anything suspicious or simply want to report a user, you can submit a request.

Block direct messages

You can block direct messages (DM) from other members by individual server. Click on the server’s settings and deselect the ‘Direct Messages’ option:

Alternatively, go to the account’s Privacy & Safety menu and deselect ‘Allow direct messages from server members’, which can be applied to all servers:

Choose who can add you as a friend

You can adjust friend request privileges by who can add you as a friend from the Privacy & Safety menu:

Find out more at Discord Parental Controls.

Block users

Simply click on the name of the user you want to block and select ‘block’ at the bottom of the menu.