By Gavin Boyle
Roblox introduced an update to its player safety that included a tool that estimates a player’s age after taking a scan of their face.
“Facial age estimation allows eligible users aged 13 and older to estimate their age and unlock additional features and content on Roblox…” the platform explained. “We estimate your age by analyzing a selfie of your face and examining your facial features. Your estimated age helps place you in the appropriate age group (under 13, 13+ and 18+) to customize your experience on Roblox. If you are placed in the under 13 age group based on facial age estimation, certain personal data, including your email and phone number, will be removed from Roblox.”
Related: Florida Attorney General Mounts Roblox Criminal Investigation
The rollout of this feature began earlier this week when the age estimation tool was introduced to the site. It is currently not required for users to verify their age before they use the platform, however, that will change very soon. In some markets, age verification will be required starting in December, though it will not be brought to American users until sometime in 2026. Users are also able to verify their age through a government I.D.
The introduction of age verification along with other safety tools on Roblox have come after the platform has faced repeated criticism for how it has connected bad actors with young users who have, as a result, been groomed and abused. Roblox has been placed on the National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s (NCOSE) Dirty Dozen list multiple times, and the platform is currently facing multiple lawsuits from parents whose kids have been abused as a result of the site.
Questions about the safety of Roblox have become so serious that the Attorney General of Florida announced in October that his office would be investigating the site and determine if it is doing enough to protect young users.
“Platforms like Roblox have become breeding ground for predators to gain access to our kids,” said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. “We will stop at nothing in the fight to protect Florida’s children, and companies that expose them to harm will be held accountable.”
Roblox’s safety changes this year have largely focused on removing adults’ ability to communicate with minors. The introduction of the age estimation technology is the latest push in this direction, although it still leaves questions. If, for example, it only requires a still photo, predators may be able to use a selfie of a different person to pose as a minor. Nonetheless, it does appear that Roblox is continuing to work to make its platform safer and less prone to the instances of abuse that has plagued it in the past.
Read Next: Roblox Enabled Young Girl’s Abduction. Now Her Parents Are Suing.
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