Roblox Adds Age Verification for Chat Feature
▼ Summary
– Roblox is now requiring all users to complete an age estimation process to access chat features in all regions where chat is available.
– The age check uses facial scan technology from Persona, with ID verification available for appeals and parental controls to update a child’s age.
– Once age is set, users can chat with others in similar age groups, with default settings allowing communication with groups directly above and below their own.
– Users under the age of 9 require parental consent to use the chat functionality on the platform.
– Tens of millions of users have already completed the check, with over 50% of daily active users complying in the initial rollout regions of Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.
The popular online platform Roblox has implemented a mandatory age verification system for its chat features across all available regions. This move, initially announced late last year and first tested in several countries, now requires users to confirm their age to access in-platform communication. The company aims to create safer, more age-appropriate social interactions by grouping users based on verified age brackets.
To estimate a user’s age, Roblox employs a facial scan technology provided by Persona, a service also utilized by other major platforms like Reddit. This process analyzes a user’s face to make an initial age assessment. If a user disagrees with the automated result, they have the option to appeal through a formal ID verification process. Additionally, parents or guardians can directly update their child’s age through parental control settings, offering a manual override to ensure accuracy.
Once an age is confirmed, the platform’s chat functionality adjusts accordingly. The system is designed to allow communication primarily within similar age ranges. By default, users can chat with others in their own age group, as well as those in the groups directly above and below. For example, a user verified to be between 9 and 12 years old can interact with those under 9 and those aged 13 to 15. A critical safety rule is that users younger than 9 years old must obtain explicit parental consent before they can use the chat feature at all.
Roblox reports significant early adoption of this new safety protocol. Company statements indicate that tens of millions of daily active users have already completed the age check process, with expectations for that number to grow rapidly. In the initial pilot regions of Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, where the requirement has been active since December, the compliance rate is notably high, with more than half of all daily active users having finished the verification. This rollout represents a major step in the platform’s ongoing efforts to balance open creative play with responsible community management.
(Source: The Verge)
