Discord — Policy Change
Executive Summary
Discord updated its privacy policy to comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective May 25, 2018. The update established Discord Netherlands BV as the data controller for European Economic Area users, added explicit disclosures about legal bases for data processing, and introduced the ability for users to download their personal data. Discord applied these changes globally, not just to EU users.
What Happened
Discord updated its privacy policy on May 25, 2018, to comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The update established Discord Netherlands BV as the data controller for European Economic Area users, added explicit disclosures about legal bases for data processing, and introduced the ability for users to download their personal data. Discord applied these changes globally to all users, not just those in the EU.
Who Is Affected
All Discord users worldwide are affected by the policy changes, though the update specifically designated Discord Netherlands BV as the controller for EEA, UK, and Swiss users, with Discord Inc. serving as controller for others. Users gained new rights including data export, access, rectification, deletion, portability, and the ability to object to processing or withdraw consent. Account deletion results in anonymization of personal identifiers, though user-generated messages in DMs and servers remain unless manually deleted beforehand.
Why It Matters
This policy change represents Discord's effort to align with GDPR requirements, though significant compliance gaps later emerged. In November 2022, France's CNIL fined Discord €800,000 for violations including lack of a written data retention policy, unclear retention periods, failure to properly inform users, weak password rules, and neglecting data protection impact assessment obligations. The inability to bulk-delete messages through the interface and the retention of messages after account deletion remain ongoing concerns for users seeking full data erasure.
What You Should Do
Users can request their personal data export through Discord's settings or by contacting the Data Protection Officer at privacy@discord.com. Before deleting your account, manually delete any messages you want removed, as account deletion only anonymizes your profile information while leaving message content intact. To exercise rights including access, rectification, deletion, portability, or objection to processing, contact Discord through the app or email their DPO directly.
AI-Assisted
Event summaries are generated by Claude AI from verified sources and reviewed by humans before publication.
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