Is Discord safe? Here’s what you need to know

Discord started out as a chat tool for gamers, but quickly grew into a versatile platform for creators and communities to connect. With its text, voice, and video chat features, Discord has become a go-to platform for anyone who wants real-time communication without the hassle of setting up separate services.

With Discord blending everyday chat with instant voice, video, and screen-sharing, safety is often a concern. After all, strangers can join public servers and potentially dangerous links can be shared instantly.

In this guide to Discord’s safety, we’ll give you a straightforward answer as to whether it’s safe, and walk you through the most important security and privacy settings, common pitfalls to avoid, and practical steps you can take to protect your chats and data.

Quick verdict: Is Discord safe?

For the average user, Discord is generally safe if you stick to the platform’s built-in security tools and practice good habits. Discord’s core infrastructure is regularly patched. It offers two-factor authentication, role-based permissions, and content filtering to help keep most interactions secure.

Despite this, safety isn’t guaranteed. For starters, chats aren’t end-to-end encrypted. Furthermore, public servers can expose users to unwanted content and malicious links. Poorly configured bots can pose risks.

Discord provides a solid security foundation, but staying protected ultimately depends on how you configure your account and how carefully you use the service.

What is Discord?

Discord is a real-time communication platform that combines text chat, voice and video calling, and screen-sharing, all organized into “servers”. Within each server, you can create separate channels for different topics and set them to public or private. Direct messages let you talk one-on-one or in small groups, and, as with most messengers, you can attach files and images.

A standout feature of Discord is its support for bots and third-party integrations. These can automate moderation, play music, pull in notifications from services like GitHub or Twitch, and even run custom commands. Roles and permissions in Discord are highly customizable, allowing server owners to decide exactly who can access channels and whether they can invite new members or access administrative tools.

Community-focused tools such as server boosting, server discovery, analytics dashboards, and scheduled events round out the Discord experience. All of this makes the platform more than just a chat app and more of a hub where people can build and manage online communities.

Who uses Discord?

Discord’s flexibility attracts a wide range of users. Gamers were the platform’s original audience, using it to chat, coordinate with teammates, and share clips or streams. Content creators and streamers quickly adopted Discord to build and grow fan communities.

From book clubs to language-learning groups, Discord’s persistent text channels and customizable roles allowed for organized discussions around shared interests. Remote teams and workplaces rely on private servers for project coordination, meetings, file sharing, and screen-sharing presentations.

Students and study groups use Discord for collaborative study rooms, sharing notes, and tutoring sessions because it’s free, easy to set up, and supports both voice and video. Finally, developers and open-source projects benefit from Discord’s integration capabilities.

The diverse user base means that safety and privacy considerations impact everyone from online gamers to professional teams.

Discord’s potential safety concerns

Although Discord offers powerful community-building tools, its open architecture introduces a number of security challenges that users should be aware of:

Privacy limitations

Discord stores most of your communications, including your messages and shared files, on its own servers so they can be synced across devices and searched later. Although the platform encrypts data in transit, most text chats aren’t end-to-end encrypted. As such, Discord can technically access the content and share it with third parties upon a lawful request.

The service also collects usage metrics, device information, and optional analytics to improve the product and serve personalized ads to users who’ve opted in.

Account compromise risks

Discord accounts are tied to an email address and password, making them vulnerable to the same threats that affect any online service. These include phishing emails that mimic login pages, credential-stuffing attacks that use passwords leaked from other sites, and brute-force attacks on weak passwords. Once an attacker gains access, they can hijack servers or send spam or malicious links to contacts. They may even impersonate the hack victim.

Content and community risks

Public servers can be opened to anyone. As a result, Discord users may encounter harassment, hate speech, explicit material, or misinformation. Moderation quality varies drastically. Large, well-funded communities often have dedicated staff and automated filters, while smaller servers may rely on just a handful of volunteers.

Without proper role permissions and content filters, members risk being exposed to inappropriate content and behavior. Discord does offer built-in content filters and the ability to block or report abusive users, but the onus is on server owners and participants to enforce community standards.

Third-party bots and integrations

Bots are a big part of Discord’s appeal, handling everything from music playback to moderation automation. However, each bot runs with the permissions it’s granted, so a poorly designed or compromised bot can read messages or post malicious links, or even exfiltrate data to external servers. Some bots request broad scopes such as “Manage Messages” or “Administrator”, which gives them significant control over a server.

Discord webhooks

Discord webhooks are simple URLs that let anyone post straight into a Discord channel without using a bot or logging in. The URL itself acts as a secret key. Anyone who obtains this key can send arbitrary text, files, or embeds to the channel. The fact that the URL provides unrestricted write access for attackers if it’s leaked or hard-coded into software. Attackers can then misuse a webhook URL, with threats including data theft and spam.

Children and under-age users

Discord’s Terms of Service require users to be at least 13 years old. The risk is that younger users may still join, especially on public gaming servers, and can be exposed to inappropriate content and communications.

Notable controversies and public incidents

Discord may be popular, but a series of privacy breaches, lawsuits, and other ongoing safety concerns have raised questions over the platform’s ability to protect users:

Third-party support breach

In October 2025, Discord revealed that a vendor handling its customer service tickets was hacked. The attackers stole users’ names, email addresses, partial credit card data, and scans of government IDs that people had submitted for age verification purposes. Discord’s own systems weren’t compromised, but the incident raised serious privacy concerns. Discord immediately cut the vendor’s access, informed law enforcement and regulators, and reached out to everyone affected.

New Jersey lawsuit

In April 2025, the US state of New Jersey sued Discord, alleging that the platform deceived parents and failed to protect children. The complaint says Discord’s age verification and content filtering tools were weak, allowing grooming and other abusive behavior, which the state says violates consumer protection laws.

Wrongful death claim

In September 2025, a family filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming Discord (alongside other services) after a 15-year-old, who had allegedly been exploited online, took his own life. It’s argued that Discord’s safety measures were insufficient.

Child safety and exploitation concerns

Major news outlets have documented dozens of criminal cases related to grooming, sexual exploitation, and even kidnappings, that began on Discord. Discord’s CEO called these findings “horrifying” and said the company is committed to protecting children. Countries such as Turkey and Russia have at times blocked Discord, citing concerns over child abuse content and weak moderation.

Discord’s built-in privacy and security settings

Discord bundles a variety of built-in privacy and security settings that let Discord users protect their personal accounts and limit the reach of unwanted content. By configuring a few options you can dramatically reduce the odds of a compromised login or accidental exposure to explicit material.

Account protection

At the account level Discord offers mechanisms that guard against unauthorized access. Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a secondary verification code to every login, making it significantly harder for attackers to gain entry, even if they’ve somehow obtained a password. Discord also records login history, showing recent IP addresses and device types. This provides insight into any unusual or suspicious sign-ins.

Authorized app listings let users see which third-party services have OAuth access to their account, so they can revoke permissions that are no longer needed.

Server and channel controls

For server owners, Discord has moderation tools that decide who can participate and what content is allowed. Verification levels can require new members to have a verified email or possess a phone-verified account before they’re allowed to send messages. This helps filter out bots and duplicate accounts.

The explicit content filter automatically removes pornographic or violent media posted by members lacking a verified email, helping maintain a safer environment. Auto mod-lets administrators define keywords or phrases that are to be blocked or flagged.

Direct message settings

Discord’s privacy options extend to private messages. Users can disable direct messages from anyone who shares a server with them unless they have been added as a friend, which can prevent unsolicited messages from strangers.

Discord’s direct message filters scan private messages, blocking any explicit or malicious links, providing an additional safeguard against accidental exposure to harmful content. Blocking and reporting functionalities allow users to cut communication with harassing users and notify Discord for further review.

Parental controls

Discord’s parental control system, Family Center, works as a supervisory feature. The child generates a QR code in the app, which a parent scans to link their own Discord account to their child’s account. Once connected, the parent gains a dashboard that shows who the child is messaging and which Discord servers they’ve joined. Importantly, this supervision doesn’t reveal the actual contents of private messages, protecting the child’s privacy.

Data and activity controls

Discord logs account activity including login timestamps and device identifiers. As such, users have insight as to how their account is being accessed. A data-export feature lets users download a copy of all the information Discord retains.

Bot management

Bots are integral to many Discord experiences but also introduce potential attack vectors. Within server settings, each bot’s permission set can be inspected and limited to the minimal actions required for it to function. The audit log records when bots are added, modified, or granted new permissions, so that administrators have a historical view of bot activity.

Practical tips for staying safe on Discord

As with any other online platform, it’s important to take proactive steps to protect your personal information and enjoy a secure experience. Below are some straightforward tips for staying safe on Discord:

• Enable 2FA: Turn on two-factor authentication in your account settings so that even if someone obtains your password, they’ll still need a second verification method to log in.
• Use a unique password: Choose a strong, unique password for Discord and store it in a reputable password manager. This prevents another website breach compromising your Discord account.
• Verify links before clicking: Hover over URLs to see the actual destination, and avoid clicking shortened or suspicious links. If a link looks unfamiliar, use a link scanner like Google Safe Browsing first.
• Adjust privacy settings: Review who can send you friend requests, direct messages, or add you to servers. Tightening these controls limits exposure to unknown users.
• Be cautious with bots: Only invite or interact with bots from trusted developers. Examine the permissions a bot requests and keep in mind that granting excessive rights can expose your data or allow malicious actions.
• Report harassment or suspicious activity: Use Discord’s built-in reporting tools to flag abusive behavior or any content that violates community guidelines. Prompt reporting helps keep Discord safer for everyone.
• Educate and supervise younger users: Talk to younger users about practising safe online habits such as not sharing personal details and recognizing Discord scams. You could also set up parental controls if appropriate.
• Regularly review server permissions: For server owners and moderators, periodically check role permissions and channel access, and remove any unnecessary privileges.
• Use a quality VPN: Using one of the best VPNs for Discord can add a layer of privacy, particularly if you’re accessing Discord on untrusted networks, such as public wifi.
• Treat Discord webhooks like passwords: If you’re a server owner, store webhooks securely and never expose them in public code repositories. Rotate or delete them if you believe they’re compromised.

How to secure your Discord server

Got your own Discord server and want to protect your community from the various risks we’ve covered? Follow the steps below to lock down your server:

1. Review the core server settings

Open Server Settings > Overview and confirm the basic configuration of your server. Choose a verification level that requires new members to verify their email. This raises the barrier for throwaway accounts. Set the default notification to Only @mentions so members aren’t flooded with unnecessary pings.

2. Tighten the @everyone role

The @everyone role is automatically granted to anyone who joins, so it should have the bare minimum permissions. Go to Roles > @everyone and turn off Embed Links, Attach Files, and Mention @everyone/@here. That way, a compromised account can’t immediately start posting malicious embeds or mass pings. If you don’t need every newcomer to be able to send messages, you can also disable Send Messages.

3. Create structured role hierarchies

Design a clear hierarchy of roles that reflect trust levels within your community. At the top sit Admins/Owners with full permissions, followed by Moderators who can manage messages and mute, kick, or ban members. Give verified members the ability to chat and keep a Newbie/Unverified role that can only read channels until passing verification. By assigning each role only the permission it needs, you limit the damage a single account can cause.

4. Harden individual channels

Create a read-only Welcome/Rules for newcomers, setting clear expectations. A Verification channel can host a bot that grants the Verified Member role once a newcomer signals – typically by clicking an emoji – that they agree to the rules. There’s also the option to lock posting for Moderator+ only while allowing all members to read. Enabling slow mode (5-10 seconds) on busy text channels further throttles spam.

5. Deploy a trusted moderation bot

Bots can automate many of the protections you’d otherwise have to enforce manually. A bot can assign roles automatically after a verification reaction. Anti-spam bots can filter duplicate messages, block external links, and prevent embed spam. Most moderation bots also include a mass-mention filter which blocks attempts to ping @everyone or @here.

6. Enable 2FA for privileged accounts

Ask every admin and moderator with the ability to take action against user accounts or edit server settings to enable two-factor authentication in User Settings > Security. Then in Server Settings > Moderation, toggle Require 2FA for Moderators. If a password is stolen, an attacker can’t do damage without having the additional authentication code.

7. Regularly review the audit log

The built-in Discord audit log records every important change including new role creations and permission edits. Look at the log on a regular basis, as well as immediately after any unusual activity. Spotting a rogue role or unexpected permission change early lets you roll it back before an attacker can exploit it further.

8. Backup your server configuration

Export your server’s role and permission layout to a JSON file. Store that file securely and export a fresh copy every month, or straight after any major restructuring. Should your server ever be compromised, you can quickly restore a clean configuration from this backup.

9. Educate your community

Users should understand your Discord server’s rules and feel comfortable reporting issues. Pin a brief “Security Guidelines” message in a visible channel, reminding members not to share invite links publicly and encouraging them to report suspicious behavior via a private mod-only channel or a bot command. This gives an extra layer of defense against spam bots and trolls.

10. Prepare an incident response plan

Outline a clear, step-by-step process for handling a breach. When an incident is detected, immediately lock down the affected channels, revoke any newly created or altered roles, and delete spam content. After containing the threat, reset compromised passwords and enforce 2FA before restoring any lost settings from your backup. Finish by reviewing what happened and how it’s been fixed, as well as going over any policy updates.

How to delete your Discord account

If you’ve decided Discord just isn’t safe enough, or you simply don’t need your account anymore, you can always delete it. Make absolutely sure you want to do this before proceeding as once your account’s erased, it can’t be undone.

Before you start, you must transfer ownership of any Discord servers you own, or delete those servers first. Note also that once you delete your account, it enters a 14-day pending deletion period. If you log back in during that time, the account deletion will be canceled.

Here’s how to delete your Discord account step-by-step:

1. Sign in to the Discord account you want to delete.
2. Click the gear icon in the lower-left corner.
3. Select My Account from the left-hand menu.
4. Scroll to the bottom and press the Delete Account button.
5. Enter your password and 2FA code (if enabled).
6. Review the final warning and confirm the deletion.

How to report a Discord user or server

Discord relies on its community to flag harmful behavior, so that the platform can act on those reports to keep both servers and private chats safe. Whether you encounter inappropriate content or a server that repeatedly breaks the Community Guidelines, submitting a report helps Discord investigate quickly and take appropriate action. This may range from a warning to a permanent ban.

Below, we’ve provided step-by-step instructions for reporting an individual user as well as an entire Discord server.

Here’s how to report a Discord user:

1. Open the conversation where the user’s message appears.
2. Right-click the user’s name (or tap-hold on mobile) and select Report.
3. In the report window, choose the appropriate reason (e.g. harassment, hate speech, spam, illegal content).
4. Optionally attach screenshots or copy-paste the offending messages to provide context.
5. Click Submit. The report will be forwarded to Discord for review and possible action.

Here’s how to report a Discord server:

1. Open the server you want to report.
2. Click the server name at the top of the channel list to open the drop-down menu (or tap the three-dot icon on mobile).
3. Choose Server Settings > Overview > Report Server.
4. Fill out the form, selecting the violation type (such as extremist content or piracy) and describing the problem.
5. Attach any relevant evidence such as screenshots, links to offending channels, or messages.
6. Press Submit. Discord’s safety team will then investigate the server and take action if required, be it a warning or a removal.

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