Roblox will launch facial age checks as a requirement for all users who want to access communication features beginning next month. The gaming platform has also implemented age-based chats to limit communication between minors and adults.
Starting Tuesday, the process will be available as a voluntary feature across Roblox. Beginning the first week of December, Roblox will start to enforce the age-check requirement in select markets, including Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand. The requirements are set to expand to the U.S. and other remaining markets where Roblox’s chat rooms are available by early January 2026.
Specific dates for the rollout have not yet been specified.
The new safety measures makes them the first online platform to require facial age checks to access chat rooms.
As previously reported, the move comes amid recent lawsuits filed against Roblox regarding its child safety regulations and accusations of grooming behavior experienced on the platform.
In September, Roblox first announced a goal to expand its age estimation technology to all of its users by the end of this year.
As of Tuesday, Roblox has also launched a new Safety Center, meant to act as “a dedicated resource for parents and caregivers that provides clear guidance and tools to help them make informed decisions, set up Parental Controls, and support their child’s online experience.”
“Robust and highly effective age assurance technology plays a critical role in maintaining the safety of child users online, helping to protect them from harmful and illegal content and high-risk interactions, whilst they develop age-appropriate digital literacy skills,” Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute, said in a statement.
Roblox’s Facial Age Estimation process will be conducted by using the camera on the user’s device through the app. Images and videos for age checks are processed by Persona, a Roblox vendor, and are deleted immediately after processing.
After users complete the age-check process, users will be assigned to one of six age groups: under nine, nine to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18 to 20 or 21 and up.
Designed to ensure safer, more age-appropriate interactions, players can chat only with peers in their group or similar groups.
A spokesperson from the National Crime Agency described Roblox’s latest safety feature as “robust and highly effective age assurance technology plays a critical role in maintaining the safety of child users online, helping to protect them from harmful and illegal content and high-risk interactions, whilst they develop age-appropriate digital literacy skills.”
variety.com
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