I write this post for two reasons. One, this text belongs to discord, but it is too long there and gets quickly buried under other messages. And two, I like to keep it here for memory and easier reference for future discussion about online gaming privacy.
This post discusses privacy issues in World of Warcraft and proposes streaming policies that inform players when their Discord voices are being broadcast.
Short background info for you: Me and dozens of people play online raiding fantasy dungeons. We discuss our tactics openly by using Discord voice channel. I stream this content (https://www.twitch.tv/konstantin_nikkari) and the Discord talk. A person courageously said out loud of not liking the fact that their voice is being heard on my stream.
Dear @person (Discord tag changed) this is my answer to you and also touching the general online gaming privacy. Firstly, thank you for stepping forth and letting us know about this matter. I know that some people don’t care if their voice is on a stream, some enjoys it, some let their friends know about their short moment of fame and some don’t like it at all. So when you talk here you not only represent you but also many others. Thank you. I understand you feel uncomfortable with the idea that your voice might’ve been broadcasted online without clear notice. That’s a fair concern, and it’s good you brought it up.
First, let’s talk about privacy in World of Warcraft. Spoiler alert: there’s no privacy in WoW. Or if there is, it’s very limited. I learned this the hard way a couple of years back when a toxic player started stalking me in-game — ganking, whispering nasty stuff, just being a menace. I managed to teleport away to escape them, only to understand that they can see my location even when I ignore them after in-game whispers like: “Oh, you’re in Stranglethorn Vale! I’m gonna fck you big time.”
WoW is an old machine with old rules. Privacy wasn’t baked in from the beginning. And still today, in 2025, it shows. Once someone has your character name, your location, gear, achievements — all of it is out there. There’s the Armory. There are combat logs. There are map add-ons that basically show where everyone is in real time. Whispers? Not private. Game Masters and other elevated roles can read those logs. Trades? Same deal. You’re just not invisible in WoW. It’s not how the game’s made.
Now, onto raiding and voice chat.
Our guild is not a sealed space. We have a pretty open policy on who comes and goes. When you join a voice channel on Discord, your voice goes out to whoever is listening — whether it’s 9 people or 39. Once your voice leaves your mic, you can’t fully control where it ends up. Someone could be recording if they like your voice. Someone might be streaming. Most won’t — but someone might. That’s the reality of being in a public-ish voice channel.
If you don’t want your voice to be online, the safest option is: don’t let it leave your room. Push-to-talk, mute buttons, text chat, block person — those are your allies.
But here’s the thing to make you sleep better: we don’t know who you are. Your voice, as it comes through Discord, is slightly changed already — tech always alters it. We hear “a version” of your voice, not your real voice. And unless you’ve shared your real-life identity with someone here, that voice can’t really be tied back to the “real you.” So even if it ends up on a stream, it’s not really connected to your personal data or identity. So, to them who watches my stream, your voice is simply one pleasant voice next to millions of other natural or AI-generated human voices.
That said, if you want to be extra careful:
- Use a Discord nickname and email that aren’t tied to you personally.
- Use a prepaid number if phone verification is needed.
- Stay off mic entirely in online environments.
My strategy is to stream under my real name. That was my choice, and I live with the trade-off. I believe exposing myself and working to find and build positivity in online communities will eventually give me more benefit of doing so under my true identity.
Here’s the basic principle I have followed for 15 years:
Only share online what you’d be okay sharing with every single person on Earth.
That’s internet safety 101.
**
Our guilds streaming policy? We don’t have one. But let’s create one. I invite officers to start the talk with me about this, as I seem to be the only person who actively streams on Twitch.
The discord channel is essentially a semi-public forum where people have already chosen to speak.
I believe people will appreciate having information about how widely their voice might be distributed. This is less about absolute control and more about awareness and informed participation.
A few thoughts:
- When someone in a raid streams, that should be notified to everyone in that raid so they would have the possibility of staying out of voice or use voice manipulation apps.
- Let’s talk openly about what we are comfortable with. This talk right here, a great beginning for good conversation.
Earlier today, I got a message to separate Discord audio from streaming. Well, that is not easy. I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I don’t yet understand how to hear Discord myself without OBS capturing it. If someone techy knows how to do that, please help. I need a voice wizard 🧙.
And finally, 🚑 here is a First Aid solution while the OBS settings are not yet clear. When I stream, I will let people know about it by telling my stream link and Discord user tag. This way they can be reactive and do action based on this information!
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