After a wave of lawsuits and investigations into child safety, Roblox has implemented mandatory facial verification for all users who want to access chat. The company is now rolling out the requirement globally after first testing it in a some markets last month.
To complete the age verification process, users must open the Roblox app, allow access to the camera, and follow a series of on-screen instructions to verify their face. Once the age check is processed, Roblox says it will delete the user’s image or video. Verification is being processed by a third-party vendor, Persona, which also deletes images and videos after completing the process, Roblox said.
The company says users 13 and older can also choose to verify their age through ID verification instead of face verification. Roblox notes that age verification is optional, but 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 have to verify it to use the chat feature.
If the age verification process incorrectly estimates the 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.
“Using a variety of signals, Roblox constantly evaluates user behavior to determine whether someone is older or younger than intended,” the company wrote in a blog post. “In these circumstances, Roblox will ask the user to repeat the age verification process.”
Once the user completes the age check, they can access age-based chats, which means they can only communicate with other people in the same 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 that group directly above and below. For example, users in the 9-12 category can chat with users in their own group, as well as those in the 9 and 13-15 age groups.
Roblox says chat is turned off by default for children under 9 unless a parent gives consent after age verification.
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The introduction of the mandatory age check comes amid various legal demands, including from the public prosecutor of Texas and Louisianatold Roblox over child safety concerns. The lawsuit was filed report below sing Roblox is exposing young users for harmful risks, such as grooming and explicit content.
Roblox says the new age verification requirement will provide a more accurate way to verify a user’s age, compared to users simply entering their year of birth when creating an account.