Discord, originally launched as a simple chat platform with voice capabilities, has evolved into the go-to tool for communication and community building among gamers, game developers, and various organizations. Over the years, Discord has introduced numerous features and updates, some of which have been controversial or poorly received by its user base.
A recent change that might unsettle some users is the expanded activity tracking within your Discord contacts list. Now, instead of just seeing what games your friends are playing, you’ll also be able to view detailed stats on how long they’ve been playing each game and how frequently they’ve logged in over the past 30 days.
For instance, the new interface might reveal that a friend has been engaged in Call of Duty for 13 consecutive days or that another has clocked over 100 hours in World of Warcraft, complete with a “marathon” badge to highlight their dedication. Users can also react to these in-game activities using emojis, adding a new layer of interaction.
However, the most concerning aspect is the ability to scrutinize a contact’s gaming activity history over the last 30 days, even when they are offline. This raises privacy concerns, as not everyone wants their gaming habits to be so transparent. Imagine if you skipped a social event to enjoy some solo gaming time—this feature could easily expose your activities, leading to potential confrontations or awkward questions from friends.
Moreover, this tracking could reveal sensitive information, such as participation in a beta for an unreleased game or playing a game you’d rather keep private. All of these scenarios highlight the importance of maintaining control over what others can see.
Thankfully, Discord has made this feature optional. If you prefer to keep your gaming activities private, you can disable the feature by heading to the Settings menu, navigating to the Privacy and security section, and turning off the Activity status.
