Roblox is introducing mandatory facial verification for all users who wish to access communication features, a change that will begin in January. This decision follows a series of lawsuits and investigations concerning the platform’s child safety systems. The company is also implementing age-based chat, which will restrict user communication to others within a similar age group.
Starting immediately, users can voluntarily verify their age to secure their access to chat. In the first week of December, Roblox will begin enforcing this age-check requirement in select markets, including Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The requirement will then expand globally in January.
This move comes in response to multiple lawsuits from state attorneys general, including those from Texas and Louisiana, which raised child safety concerns. These legal actions were filed following reports that Roblox exposed young users to dangerous risks such as grooming and explicit content.
For the age verification process, users must open the Roblox app, allow camera access, and follow a series of on-screen instructions for facial verification. Roblox states that once the age check is processed, it will delete all user images and videos. The verification is handled by a third-party vendor named Persona, which will also delete the images and videos after completing the process.
Once verified, users will be informed of their assigned age group. The platform has six age categories: under 9, 9 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18 to 20, and 21 plus. Users will be able to chat with others in their own age group and with users in similar age groups as appropriate. For example, a user estimated to be 12 years old and placed in the 9 to 12 group will be able to chat with users aged 15 and younger, while all users aged 16 or older will be prevented from chatting with them.
Company executives stated that these changes are designed to help users socialize with others in appropriate age groups and to limit contact between minors and unknown adults. They believe the new age-check requirement provides a more accurate method of verifying age compared to the previous system where users simply entered their birth year upon account creation.
Roblox also announced the launch of a new Safety Center that will provide parents and caregivers with guidance, tools, and the ability to set up parental controls.