The WAN Show: Discord Threw It All Away

Episode: February 13, 2026
Podcast: The WAN Show (Linus Tech Tips)
Hosts: Linus Sebastian, Luke Lafreniere
Date: February 14, 2026

Overview

This episode dives deep into pressing privacy topics in the tech industry, mainly focusing on Discord’s controversial move to require facial scans for age verification and the broader implications for internet privacy and user trust. Linus and Luke also discuss Amazon Ring’s new neighborhood surveillance feature, news in gaming and software, Mr. Beast’s foray into fintech, pro-consumer victories, and various quirky tech stories.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Discord’s Global Age Verification Rollout

[00:37 – 29:11]

What’s Happening

• Discord will require global users to verify their age, starting in March, just five months after a massive breach at a third-party vendor that exposed 70,000 user IDs.
• Default accounts will be “teen-appropriate” unless verified as adults.

Verification Methods

• For most adults, no verification needed—Discord uses “age inference” based on account tenure, device, behavior, etc.
• If age can't be inferred, users must provide:
  • Video selfie for facial age estimation (claimed to be on-device only).
  • OR scan of government ID and a selfie.

Privacy Nightmare & Backlash

• Discord previously stated images would be “deleted immediately,” but now policies are unclear, and partners seem to have shifted (from Kid to Persona, a company with ties to Palantir).
  • Luke: "Persona is a corporate partner of Palantir, a spying and surveillance company..." [10:39]
• Community trust is low, with many users threatening to cancel Nitro subscriptions and speculating about data security and further breaches.

Broader Impact and User Frustration

• International rollout criticized—Discord wasn’t required to go global but did, likely anticipating regulatory trends.

• Real-name policies and mandatory ID verification raise severe privacy, safety, and anonymity concerns, especially for sensitive groups.

  • Redditor (quoted by Linus):
    “Am I really going to associate my legal name with the PTSD groups that I'm part of?... Do you know how sickening it would be to the hundreds of members there to have to put our legal names on experiences that scarred us?" [13:18]

Alternatives & Structural Entrenchment

• Options like TeamSpeak, Matrix, and Steam Chat discussed as alternatives.
• Network effects and entrenched Discord integrations/bots make mass migration “really hard.”
• Luke:
  “...If we can just normalize there being alternatives, I think that would be awesome. This is a slow war, not a fast one, I think.” [28:06]

2. Modern Standby on Windows: Battery Drain Update

[29:14 – 41:06]

• Microsoft claims Windows 11 should finally fix “Modern Standby” issues that caused laptops to wake up and drain batteries or overheat in bags.
• LTT Labs plans to test, but skepticism remains (“Has anyone not employed by Microsoft confirmed this is fixed?”).
• MacBooks and Linux laptops are highlighted as not suffering from this issue, reinforcing a Linux vs. Windows debate.

3. Amazon Ring’s New ‘Search Party’ Feature & Surveillance Fallout

[43:06 – 57:46]

• Ring’s Super Bowl ad promotes a “Search Party” tool letting anyone use neighborhood cameras to find lost pets, regardless of being a Ring owner.
• Came after a now-cancelled partnership with Flock Safety, a notorious surveillance firm.
  • Linus:
    “...The last two companies ... I could have any interest in administering this are going to be Amazon and Flock. Dude, Flock ... could never earn my trust back. The way that they have handled security and data privacy.” [45:55]
• Linus draws a provocative analogy to stress that a company’s choice of partners is itself revealing.
• Ring/ Amazon’s track record with privacy (e.g., FTC charges for storing kids' Alexa data) further erodes public trust.
• Recommendation: Self-host with Ubiquiti, but options are pricier.

4. YouTube React Videos, DMCA, and Lawsuits

[73:35 – 76:44]

• A new lawsuit questions not fair use, but HOW react content is sourced (e.g., using YouTube downloaders).
• Legal challenge: How can anyone prove what method was used (screen capture vs. downloader)?
  • Linus: “How would you prove how you got it?” [74:58]
• Fear this could have chilling effects on the entire react content genre.

5. Quebec’s Pro-Consumer Warranty Law

[76:44 – 82:50]

• Quebec mandates minimum 3-year warranties (up to 6 for big appliances), applies to resold items, and outlaws “planned obsolescence” tactics.
• Linus praises the move and says global adoption would be amazing:
  • “The answer is not for Quebec to back down. The answer is for everyone else to step up.” [82:43]

6. Sponsor Integrity and the Anker/Eufy Dilemma

[85:29 – 97:36]

• Linus Media Group dropped Anker/Eufy as a sponsor over privacy scandals, despite them being a top sponsor.
• Now considering re-engaging—but only with Anker/Soundcore lines (not Eufy).
  • Audience and hosts weigh the question: “How do we know they’ve changed?”
  • Discussion ends with “needs more digging; maybe revisit in 2027.”

7. Google’s ‘Result Removal’ for Explicit Content

[100:42 – 102:13]

• Tool lets users request takedowns of non-consensual explicit images from search results.
• Must upload your own data to Google for monitoring; only controls search display, not deletion from the internet.

8. Tech Business & Culture Bits

• Alphabet/Google Issues 100-year Bonds [103:48 – 112:40]
  • Raises eyebrows: How is a “century bond” not crazy risky?
• Sony Exits Blu-Ray Recorder Market [112:43 – 113:51]
  • Blu-ray writing hardware finally disappearing; the age of optical media fading.
• Noctua’s 20 Years of Mounting Kit Support [119:27 – 122:06]
  • Celebrated as a rare, pro-consumer move: free upgrade kits keep coolers working for decades.
  • “This is so based. This is so pro-consumer that I think it’s sexy wood.” - Linus [119:44]

9. Fun, Business, and Offbeat Moments

• LTT Lawsuit Hoodie Launch [57:46 – 63:18]
  • Inspired by years of ignored collaboration emails; now a partnership with dBrand.
• Publishing to Pornhub? [126:26 – 132:25]
  • Thread discusses uploading LTT content to other platforms with much higher CPMs—mostly as a tongue-in-cheek conversation full of safe-for-work innuendoes.
  • “We were already on OnlyFans.” - Luke [130:18]
• Mr. Beast Buys a Banking App [142:13 – 147:19]
  • Generally, the consensus: probably not a rugpull, but the crew would rather do their banking with "boring" traditional banks.
• Luke’s Potato Obsession [53:51 – 55:54]
  • An unexpectedly long, enthusiastic tangent about the virtues of various potato preparations.
    • “Potatoes just win. Potatoes are great.” - Linus [54:33]

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Discord’s Age Verification:

• Linus: “...the craziest part of this is they didn’t have to do this. ...there was no real reason other than maintaining two forks.” [05:14]
• Luke: “Persona is a corporate partner of Palantir, a spying and surveillance company...” [10:39]
• Redditor quoted by Linus: “Am I really going to associate my legal name with the PTSD groups that I'm part of?” [13:18]

On Privacy and Partnerships:

• Linus: “Amazon and Flock ... could never earn my trust back.” [45:55]
• Linus: “If Linus Media Group chose to partner with Flock...and then I said, ‘Oh, wow. Yeah, we’re not doing that anymore.’ ...Doesn’t that just tell us a fair bit?” [48:50]

On Tech Company Monetization:

• “When you look at the mass of what Discord is and then you, you try to tell me Nitro is fully funding that platform. Sorry, bro, there’s no way.” - Luke [19:36]

On Cultural Change & Alternatives:

• “If we can just normalize there being alternatives, even if we can’t take a real, actual sizable chunk out. ...that alone...would be a huge win.” - Luke [28:06]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Discord Age Verification and Privacy:
  [00:37 – 29:11]
• Modern Standby & Battery Drains:
  [29:14 – 41:06]
• Amazon Ring Neighborhood Surveillance:
  [43:06 – 57:46]
• Discord Alternatives and Entrenchment:
  [15:36 – 28:06]
• Legal Risks for React Videos on YouTube:
  [73:35 – 76:44]
• Quebec’s Pro-Consumer Warranty Law:
  [76:44 – 82:50]
• Anker/Eufy Sponsor Dilemma:
  [85:29 – 97:36]
• Google Explicit Content Removal:
  [100:42 – 102:13]
• Alphabet’s 100-year Bonds:
  [103:48 – 112:40]
• Mr. Beast Banking App:
  [142:13 – 147:19]
• Lighthearted Potato Tangent:
  [53:51 – 55:54]

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode strikes a critical, sometimes darkly comedic tone, with Linus and Luke pulling no punches on privacy, regulatory overreach, and product user-hostility—while also delivering appreciation for organizations like Noctua and pro-consumer legislation. There’s a recurring theme of skepticism about major platforms’ motives and a constant push for open alternatives and user empowerment.

For a full, unfiltered sense of the episode’s lively tech banter, wit, and audience engagement, this summary captures the crux of the critical discussions—especially essential for listeners concerned about tech privacy, user rights, and the evolving digital landscape.