[Updated] Discord's new username system gets heavily criticized; users demand return of discriminators

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on May 4, 2023) follows:

Discord, the popular chat app, has recently undergone a significant change to its username system. The company has removed discriminators and made it mandatory for all users to have a unique username, similar to other social media platforms.

Over the coming weeks, every user will become eligible to change their username from their old username with discriminators (#0000) to a new username (@username) without discriminators.

This decision to eliminate the use of discriminators in the Discord username system has faced heavy criticism from users, with some taking to social media platforms and Change.org to demand the return of this feature (1,2,3,4,5,6).

The elimination of discriminators will result in a race to pick preferred usernames, leading to hacking and an entirely new wave of scams.

With the new system, people will be more likely to target others to obtain their usernames, as there will be no unique identifier to distinguish between users with the same name.

This creates a security risk for users and raises concerns about the platform’s ability to protect its users from online threats.

Users who bought nitro specifically to have custom discriminators, and removing this feature removes their reason to continue supporting Discord.

Well, I only had nitro for the discriminator, so no point in my continuing to buy nitro.
Source

Pretty bad update if it’s like insta / Minecraft / tiktok / literally any app with unique usernames there will be a black market of rare names that’ll cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
Source

The new system creates handles that consist of random underscores and numbers, making them even harder to memorize than discriminators.

This negates the positive benefits of having a unique identifier and makes it challenging for users to remember the usernames of their friends and contacts on the platform.

Way to kill the vibe. Oh yeah this will make it easier ” oh let me add you on discord “. ” Sure it’s. Th15_15_5o_Dum8!#?$+_(($$888 make sure to use three 8s at the end the person with two 8s is toxic”.
Source

This update breaks community-made bots that have become an essential part of Discord nowadays. Several users rely on bots for various functions, such as moderation, music playback, and automatic role assignment.

The new username system may not be compatible with these bots, forcing users to switch to bots like Mee6 which can cost a fortune and creates an additional financial burden.

The new username system may make stalking easier since handles are reused on many social media sites. This creates a real danger for people, particularly those who use the same handle across multiple platforms.

Because my main (not this) username is going to be taken immediately just like it was on youtube when they switched over, making it even more annoying for clients to find me. For my friend they’re worried about the opposite, it would make fans likely to find them and they hate the idea because of that.
Source

The discriminator feature provided an additional layer of protection for users and made it more challenging for others to track them online.

Removing this feature puts users at risk and raises concerns about the platform’s commitment to user safety and privacy.

So it’s no surprise that the Disocrd users started a petition for the return of discriminators and it has already gathered more than 2.5k signatures.

Discord must listen to user feedback and find a way to address these concerns to ensure that the platform remains a safe, secure, and enjoyable space for all users.

12:40 pm (IST): It looks like more individuals are receiving this update, and their reactions are generally negative (1,2).

Also, there are multiple petitions going around (1,2,3) with one even crossing the 12K mark.

01:15 pm (IST): The fear that some Discord users (1,2) had has come true as usernames for even large organizations like SKITTLES have been claimed by some person.

10:05 am (IST): Recent reports suggest that the latest Discord update also brought a large-scale rollout of the feature (1, 2).

05:41 pm (IST): Users are now asking Discord to rollback the username change as its only making the system more complex.

Note: There are more stories like this in our dedicated Apps section so make sure you’re following them as well.

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.