Roblox is rolling out a sweeping new AI-powered age verification system, requiring users who want to chat to confirm their age by scanning a government ID or submitting a facial image for analysis—part of a major safety upgrade in response to lawsuits and mounting criticism over child protection failures. With more than 150 million users and a third of them under 13, Roblox faces legal, parental, and regulatory pressure following multiple incidents where minors were groomed or victimized on the platform.
New Age Verification Tools
Starting Tuesday, Roblox’s chat features will be limited to users who opt into AI or ID verification. The technology, provided by identity firm Persona, prompts users to move their face for live facial analysis, then assigns them to an age group. Under-13 users will not be able to chat with adults, and users found in the wrong age bracket can submit ID to correct errors. Roblox maintains that face images are only used for age estimation and deleted after sorting, while robust fraud checks aim to block attempts to trick the system.
Safety Concerns and Legal Pressure
The new measures come after lawsuits from multiple states and families—including allegations that children were groomed, abused, and even kidnapped via Roblox and Discord. Officials from Kentucky, Louisiana, and Florida have all taken legal action against the company, saying current protections are insufficient. Roblox also faces a virtual protest from the nonprofit ParentsTogether Action, calling for stronger default privacy and more rigorous safety features for its youngest users.
Parental Controls and Industry Trends
Roblox already offers parental controls, content restrictions, and human/AI moderation for messaging, but executives now say age verification is a necessary next step amid public concern. Other platforms, including YouTube and Meta, are also implementing AI-driven age estimation tools with varying methods. Matt Kaufman, Roblox’s Chief Safety Officer, said, “Our foremost concern is safety and respect…We hold ourselves to exceptionally high standards, and we recognize that the public expects the same from us.”
Global Rollout and Future Outlook
The updated policy begins as a voluntary feature this week, will become mandatory in selected countries from December, and is set for worldwide enforcement early next year. Parents who link accounts can manually override age assessments for their children. Experts attribute the shift to aggressive fraud checks and increasing use of AI in online child safety, as Roblox seeks to ensure kids interact with peers and restrict access for adult strangers.