With the rise of age verification and data collection it seem that our personal data is being traded and exchanged for good and services on daily bases. It is no surprise to me that companies like Discord are starting to get in on this trend with there new “teen-by-default”.
This is Discord’s new age verification method that will be rolled out by March of 2026 and what it will require from its end users to upload a copy of their photo ID. Where this is not the only verification method that they will be used, my suspicions are that it will be the default method for a majority of its users. Discord like a lot of companies has suffered from data breaches in the past and the results of these breaches was the integrity of there customers data.
So what can we do to prevent data breaches and leaks like this from happening. For starters we can limited how much access to our personal data we give these companies access. Secondly we can use as much self hosted and open source applications as possible.
This is where alternatives like Matrix and TeamSpeak come into the picture. Both platforms offer a compelling case for users who are tired of handing over sensitive information just to stay connected with their communities.
Matrix is a decentralized, open source communication protocol that allows anyone to host their own server, often referred to as a “homeserver.” This means that rather than trusting a single corporation with your data, you or your community can maintain full control over it. The most popular client for Matrix is Element, which offers a familiar chat experience similar to Discord, including voice and video capabilities. Because the code is open source, it can be audited by anyone, making it far more transparent than proprietary platforms. The trade off is that setting up your own homeserver does require some technical know-how, but for those who are serious about their privacy, it is well worth the effort.
TeamSpeak on the other hand has been around since the early 2000s and has long been the go-to communication tool for gamers who value performance and privacy. Like Matrix, TeamSpeak allows users to self-host their own servers, meaning your voice conversations never have to pass through a third party’s infrastructure. It does not require you to create an account tied to personal information just to join a server, which stands in stark contrast to what Discord is now demanding from its users.
Neither of these platforms is perfect, and they each come with their own learning curves. However, the core principle behind both of them is one that should appeal to anyone concerned about where their data ends up: you are in control. In a world where companies increasingly treat your personal information as a commodity, that level of control is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity.
The bottom line is this — before you hand over a government issued ID to a platform that has already demonstrated it cannot fully protect your data, it may be worth exploring what the open source community has built for us. The tools are out there. It is simply a matter of choosing to use them.