What Discord is and how it collects your information

Discord is a messaging platform built for group conversation. You create a free account with an email address and username, then join "servers" — communities organized around a topic, game, hobby, or friend group. Within each server, you can send text messages, voice chat, or stream video to specific channels or directly to other people.

Discord collects the obvious things: your username, email, messages, voice recordings if you use voice chat, and any files you upload. It also collects metadata — the time you sent each message, which servers you join, how long you stay active, what device you use, and your IP address. Discord uses this data to run the service, show you targeted ads, and improve its recommendation systems.

The company is owned by Tencent (a Chinese technology company that owns a stake) and other investors. Discord's privacy policy states it does not sell your personal data to third parties, but it does share data with service providers — companies that help run Discord's servers, process payments, or detect fraud. It also shares data when required by law or court order.

Key Takeaways

  • Discord stores all your messages and voice chats on its servers, and the people in your servers can see and save what you send unless you delete it when ready.
  • Your messages are not encrypted end-to-end by default, which means Discord employees and law enforcement with a warrant can read them.
  • Discord collects data about which servers you join, how long you stay active, and what device you use, and uses this to target ads to you.
  • You can reduce what Discord knows about you by turning off activity status, limiting who can message you, and deleting old messages, but you cannot stop Discord from collecting data about your account itself.
  • If you are under 13, Discord does not allow you to have an account; if you are 13 to 17, your account has stronger privacy protections by default.

How Discord stores messages and who can see them

Every message you send on Discord is stored on Discord's servers. The person or people in that conversation can see it, and they can take a screenshot, copy it, or save it. If you delete a message, it disappears from the chat for everyone, but Discord may keep a copy in its backup systems for a period of time.

Messages are not encrypted end-to-end by default. This means that while the connection between your device and Discord's servers is encrypted (so your internet provider cannot read your messages), Discord itself can read them. If Discord receives a valid court order or legal demand, it can hand over your messages to law enforcement or other parties. Discord publishes a transparency report showing how many requests it receives and how often it complies.

The only way to send encrypted messages on Discord is through the app's direct message feature with one other person, and even then, encryption is not automatic — you have to enable it in settings. Group chats and server messages are never encrypted end-to-end.

What data Discord collects beyond your messages

Discord tracks your activity status — whether you are online, idle, or offline — and shares this with other users in your servers unless you turn it off. It logs which servers you join and leave, how often you send messages, what time of day you are most active, and whether you use voice chat. It also collects your IP address, the type of device you use, your operating system, and your browser type.

If you use Discord on mobile, the app collects location data and device identifiers. If you connect other accounts to Discord — like a Spotify account or a gaming account — Discord stores that connection and may use it to show you personalized content or ads.

Discord uses this data to build a profile of your interests and behavior. This profile is used to show you targeted ads within the Discord app and on other websites. You can opt out of personalized ads in your privacy settings, but Discord will still collect the data — it just will not use it to target ads to you specifically.

How to limit what Discord collects about your behavior

Open Discord and go to User Settings (the gear icon next to your username). Under Privacy & Safety, you can turn off "Activity Status" so other users cannot see when you are online. You can also change who is allowed to send you direct messages — the default allows anyone, but you can restrict it to friends only or to no one.

Under Privacy & Safety, find "Data and Privacy" and turn off "Personalized Ads" if you do not want Discord to use your behavior data to target advertisements. You can also request that Discord delete your data, though this does not delete your account — it removes some of the behavioral tracking data Discord has collected about you.

If you want to delete old messages, you have to do it manually — Discord does not have a bulk delete feature for your own messages. Some third-party tools claim to delete messages in bulk, but using them violates Discord's terms of service and can get your account suspended.

The difference between private messages and server messages

Direct messages between two people are slightly more private than server messages, but not by much. A direct message is only visible to you and the other person, whereas a server message is visible to everyone in that channel. However, both types of messages are stored unencrypted on Discord's servers, and both can be read by Discord or by law enforcement with a warrant.

If you want truly private conversation on Discord, you can enable end-to-end encryption for direct messages. Go to a direct message conversation, click the lock icon, and select "Enable End-to-End Encryption." Once enabled, only you and the other person can read the messages — Discord cannot read them even if it wanted to. However, this feature is only available for one-on-one direct messages, not group chats or server channels.

Keep in mind that even with encryption turned on, the other person can still screenshot your message or copy it before you see it. Encryption protects the message in transit and at rest on Discord's servers, but it does not prevent the other person from sharing what you said.

What happens to your data if Discord is hacked or sold

Discord has experienced data breaches in the past. In 2020, hackers accessed user data including usernames, email addresses, and hashed passwords. Discord notified affected users and encouraged them to change their passwords. The company uses industry-standard security practices like encryption and multi-factor authentication, but no system is completely find.

If Discord is sold to another company, the new owner would inherit access to all user data unless the sale agreement includes specific restrictions. Discord's current privacy policy would likely change under new ownership. There is no legal requirement for Discord to ask users for permission before a sale, though some companies do notify users of major changes.

To protect yourself, use a strong, unique password for Discord and enable two-factor authentication in your account settings. This makes it much harder for someone to access your account even if they obtain your password. Consider using a password manager to generate and store a unique password for Discord.

Age-based privacy rules and what they mean

Discord does not allow users under 13 to create accounts. If you are 13 to 17, Discord applies stricter privacy rules to your account by default. Your direct messages are private by default — strangers cannot message you unless you have a mutual server connection. Your account is not visible in search results, and Discord does not show your activity status to people outside your friends list.

If you are 18 or older, these protections do not explore by default. You can change your privacy settings to match the teen defaults if you want, but you have to do it manually. Go to User Settings, then Privacy & Safety, and adjust "Who can add you as a friend" and "Who can message you directly."

Parents and guardians should know that Discord does not have a built-in parental control system. If you want to monitor a teen's Discord use, you have to ask them to share their account details or use third-party monitoring software, which may violate Discord's terms of service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Discord read my messages if I use a VPN?

A VPN hides your IP address from Discord, but it does not encrypt your messages on Discord's servers. Discord can still read your messages, and so can anyone else in your conversation. A VPN protects your internet provider from seeing what you do online, but it does not protect your messages from Discord itself.

What should I do if someone is harassing me on Discord?

Block the person by right-clicking their username and selecting "Block." You can also report them to Discord by clicking the three dots next to their message and selecting "Report Message." Discord has a Trust & Safety team that investigates reports of harassment, threats, and abuse. If the harassment is severe or involves threats of violence, contact local law enforcement.

Does Discord sell my data to advertisers?

Discord states in its privacy policy that it does not sell your personal data to third parties. However, it does use your data to show you targeted ads within the app. You can turn off personalized ads in your privacy settings, but Discord will still collect behavioral data about you — it just will not use it to target ads.

Can I delete my Discord account and all my data?

Yes. Go to User Settings, then Account, and scroll to the bottom to find "Delete Account." Discord will ask you to confirm your password. Your account will be deleted, but Discord may keep some data in backup systems for a limited time. Deleted accounts cannot be recovered.

Is Discord safer than other messaging apps like Telegram or Signal?

Discord is less private than Signal, which uses end-to-end encryption by default for all messages. Discord is more private than Telegram, which stores messages unencrypted on its servers. If privacy is your main concern, Signal is the stronger choice. If you use Discord mainly for gaming communities and do not send sensitive information, the privacy trade-off may be acceptable to you.