Following a wave of lawsuits and investigations over child safety, Roblox has implemented mandatory facial verification for all users who want to access chats. The company is now rolling out the requirement globally after first testing it in a few markets last month.
To complete the age-check process, users have to open the Roblox app, allow access to their camera, and follow a series of on-screen instructions for facial verification. Once the age check is processed, Roblox says it will delete any images or videos of users. The verification is being processed by a third-party vendor, Persona, which also deletes images and videos after completing the process, Roblox says.
The company says users who are 13 and older can also choose to verify their age through ID verification instead of facial verification. Roblox notes that while age checks are optional, they’re required if users want to access communication features. In other words, you don’t have to verify your age to use Roblox, but you do need verification to use chat features.
If the age-check process incorrectly estimates a user’s age, they can appeal the decision and verify their age through alternative methods, including ID verification or through parental controls that allow parents to update their child’s age.
“Leveraging multiple signals, Roblox is constantly evaluating user behavior to determine if someone is significantly older or younger than expected,” the company wrote in a blog post. “In these situations, Roblox will soon ask users to repeat the age-check process.”
Once users complete an age check, they can access age-based chat, which means they can only communicate with others in a similar age group. There are six age groups: under 9, 9 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18 to 20, and 21 plus. Users in each age group can chat with people in the groups directly above and below theirs. For example, users in the 9-12 category can chat with users in their own group, as well as those in the under 9 and 13-15 groups.
Roblox says chat is disabled by default for children under 9 unless a parent provides consent following an age check.
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The introduction of mandatory age checks comes amid multiple lawsuits, including from the attorneys general of Texas and Louisiana, against Roblox over child safety concerns. The lawsuits were filed following reports that Roblox was exposing young users to dangerous risks, such as grooming and explicit content.
Roblox has said the new age-check requirement will provide a more accurate way to verify users’ ages, compared with simply having users enter their birth year when creating an account.
