Roblox is rolling out a bold move to bolster child protection on its platform. In a Safety + Civility update, Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman announced that, by the end of 2025, every user accessing communication features—including chat and voice—will go through age estimation via a combination of facial AI, ID verification, or parental consent. These updates aim to provide safer, age-appropriate experiences and could become a best practice across the gaming and social media industries.
Layered Approach
Roblox’s new system will replace the old self-reported age entry—a method easily manipulated. Instead, the platform will:
-
Use facial age estimation, where a selfie is processed with AI to estimate a user’s age.
-
If age is uncertain, fall back on government ID verification, or parental consent.
-
Data captured is used to segment users into under 13, 13–17, and 18+ tiers, unlocking different communication capabilities.
This stratified approach ties into Roblox’s “Trusted Connections” feature: users aged 13–17 can only communicate with adults they know in real life—verified via QR codes or contact imports. For those under 13, private messaging is disabled altogether.
Building on Prior Safety Efforts
Since early 2025, Roblox has introduced over 100 safety initiatives—everything from Roblox Sentinel, an open-source AI that flags concerns of child endangerment, to enhanced chat filters and avatar moderation using real-time detection. These changes build on existing safeguards like public chat filtering, and default blocks on voice and image sharing for users under 13.
Also read: AI, Teens, and Trust: Roblox’s New Safety Tools Raise Old Questions
Roblox has also adopted ESRB/IARC age ratings for its experiences, reinforcing context for parents and creators about content maturity levels.
Balancing Safety and Privacy Concerns
While the new age assessment system promises tighter control over risky communications, it also raises valid privacy questions. Facial scans and ID checks are sensitive data streams, and privacy advocates warn about potential misuse, spoofing, or false positives—especially for kids.
Malwarebytes notes that age-verification systems using biometric data may well increase safety, but they are not foolproof. Techniques like “double-anonymity,” where verification is separated from service use, offer better privacy but remain rare.
The Pressure Behind the Push
Regulatory scrutiny and public pressure have undoubtedly influenced Roblox’s strategy. The company is currently facing a high-profile lawsuit from Louisiana’s Attorney General, who accuses it of failing to safeguard children. The AG labeled the platform “the perfect place for pedophiles,” arguing Roblox prioritized profit over protective measures.
Simultaneously, Roblox’s banning of a popular YouTuber known as “Schlep”—a self-styled predator hunter—drew backlash from both the public and lawmakers, with a petition led by Rep. Ro Khanna demanding stronger safety reforms.
Roblox says it hopes to build a safety-first playbook that others follow—even if laws mandating age verification don’t arrive first. The UK’s Online Safety Act and Missouri’s age-assurance requirements may soon make such practices compulsory for broader platforms.
Also read: Ofcom Finalizes Online Child Safety Rules to Protect UK’s Youngest Internet Users
Roblox’s shift to AI-driven age verification marks one of the boldest safety efforts yet in social gaming—a recognition of both the platform’s risks and its responsibility. While the technology isn’t perfect, the multi-layered strategy suggests Roblox is moving beyond voluntary filters toward systematic protection, even amid debates about privacy and implementation.
As Roblox continues to expand into branded experiences and social hangouts, the effectiveness of these measures will be a critical case study for regulators, developers, and parents alike.
