February 12, 2026

It finally happened. After months of speculation, Discord dropped the hammer: mandatory age verification for all users is rolling out next month. The era of anonymous gaming chats is officially over.

Naturally, the internet is panicking. A massive exodus is underway, with thousands of users fleeing to Matrix, the open-source, decentralized alternative. But if you think switching platforms is a magic bullet, I have some bad news for you.

The Matrix.org team just posted a sobering welcome message. While they are happy to take in the refugees, the main matrix.org homeserver is also bowing to the same draconian laws (like the UK’s Online Safety Act). They are exploring "privacy-preserving" age verification, which likely involves credit card checks or similar hurdles.

So, are we screwed? Not entirely. Unlike Discord, Matrix is federated. You don't have to use their main server. You can spin up your own homeserver on a Raspberry Pi or rent a VPS in a country that doesn't demand your ID card to send a meme.

The trade-off? The user experience is still... rough. Missing features like seamless game streaming and proper voice channels will make the transition painful for power users. But frankly, I’d rather deal with clunky UI than scan my passport for a chat app.

If you're staying on Discord, enjoy the surveillance. For the rest of us: it's time to learn how to self-host.