Law enforcement does not automatically get access to everything on a Discord account just by asking. Discord says it reviews requests for legal validity and limits disclosure to the circumstances specified by the request and applicable law. What it can provide depends on the legal process, the records it has, and the user’s region. Discord’s law-enforcement guidance was last updated May 2, 2025.
What information might Discord have?
Discord’s privacy policy describes several kinds of information it collects or may store. The existence of a category does not mean a record exists for every account or that Discord will disclose it in every case.
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- Account information: username, password, email address or phone number, birthday, and, in some cases, information used to verify age.
- User-created content: messages and drafts, voice messages, files, profile information, and information supplied when creating servers.
- Limited streaming-related material: Discord says it does not store screen-share streaming content, but retains a stream thumbnail cover image for a short period.
Discord says it generally does not store the contents of voice or video calls or channels. That is a statement about Discord’s general storage practices, not a guarantee about every record or account.
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Discord describes three distinct routes. A preservation request holds data temporarily; it does not itself compel disclosure. The legal basis and threshold for emergency disclosure differ from ordinary legal process.
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| Route | What it does | Key limits or conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Legal process for user data | Seeks disclosure of specified user data under the process applicable to the request. | Discord says it reviews requests for validity and aims to limit disclosure to the specific circumstances dictated by each request. Its public guidance does not provide a definitive field-by-field mapping from each record type to a subpoena, warrant, or other instrument. |
| Emergency disclosure | May provide information without ordinary legal process when Discord believes disclosure cannot wait. | Discord says it must have a good-faith belief that an emergency poses an imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury and that information is needed without delay. Officials are asked to describe the emergency, identify the specific data sought, and explain how it would help. |
| Preservation | Temporarily holds account data while authorities pursue legal process to obtain it. | Discord says the initial period is 90 days. An extension request may add another 90 days; Discord may agree to longer preservation in certain circumstances. Process seeking preserved data should include Discord’s internal reference number. |
Discord’s published guidance does not establish a universal rule that a particular legal document always obtains a particular data field. The records sought and the applicable law matter.
Can police read Discord messages or get an IP address?
Discord’s policy identifies messages and other user-created content among the information it may collect. Whether a particular message or other record is available and disclosed depends on what Discord has and on the valid process and scope of the request. The public guidance does not establish a complete list of message records produced under each kind of process.
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The official material described here does not establish a definitive answer about whether, or under what process, Discord will produce an IP address in a particular case. It also does not establish whether deleted messages can be recovered. Do not assume that a request gives authorities access to every message, or that Discord can retrieve content it no longer has.
Does Discord store voice calls or screen shares?
Discord says it generally does not store the contents of voice or video calls or channels, and does not store screen-share streaming content. It does say that it retains a stream thumbnail cover image for a short period. These general statements do not show whether any particular related record exists or what could be disclosed in a specific case.
How do requests work across borders?
Discord’s stated route depends on the user’s region. Most international law-enforcement agencies should use mutual legal assistance procedures, according to Discord.
- Users in the European Economic Area: Discord directs requests to Discord Netherlands B.V. Its guidance describes using a European Investigation Order where possible, or other mutual legal assistance through Dutch authorities.
- Other users: Discord directs requests to Discord Inc. Discord says it may choose to provide information to a foreign agency when the request is valid under the requesting country’s law.
This describes Discord’s published handling process; it is not legal advice about what a particular authority must do.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does law enforcement need to identify an account or record?
Discord asks government requesters to provide identifiers that let it locate the relevant account, server, or message. Its current guidance lists these account identifiers:
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- Case-sensitive username
- Email address
- Phone number
Server and message IDs should be supplied when those records are at issue. An older Discord help article from 2021 describes the user ID as preferred and cautions that an IP address, a username without a discriminator, or a server nickname alone may be insufficient. The current guidance is the better reference for today’s identifier list.
Will Discord tell a user about a request?
Discord says it generally notifies users when a government entity seeks account data through legal process and provides a copy of that process, unless law or a court order prohibits notice. It may also withhold notice at its discretion in cases such as child exploitation or an imminent threat to life. Discord says it does not notify users about preservation requests or emergency disclosure requests.
What do Discord’s published request figures show?
Discord’s Q1 2022 transparency report recorded 1,446 pieces of legal process received; it found 1,296 legally valid and specific enough to identify an account and produce relevant information. For emergency disclosure, Discord reported 182 requests, identified 145 accounts, and disclosed basic subscriber information in response to 82 requests. These are historical figures for Q1 2022, not a current rate or a forecast of what will happen in an individual case.
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