Roblox, the worldwide gaming platform for youth currently scrutinized over child safety concerns, is implementing mandatory age verification for all users who wish to engage in chat. The platform’s age estimation tool, revealed in November, incorporates AI technology from third-party provider Persona, which employs on-device cameras to categorize users into six age categories: Under 9, 9–12, 13–15, 16–17, 18–20, and 21+. Originally introduced for users aged 13-17, this feature is now obligatory for all users where chat is accessible, commencing January 7.
“As the inaugural major online gaming platform to mandate facial age verifications for all users seeking chat access, this rollout marks our next phase in establishing what we believe will be the benchmark for communication safety,” expressed Matt Kaufman, Roblox Chief Safety Officer, alongside Rajiv Bhatia, head of user and discovery product, in a blog entry.
Millions have already willingly undergone age checks since the feature’s rollout. In regions where age verification was compulsory, including Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, over 50% of users have chosen to enable age-verified chat. Roblox intends to broaden mandatory age estimation to real-time collaboration functionalities in Roblox Studio and will revise its community policies.
The platform, which had 151 million daily users in 2025, serves nearly half of the U.S. population under 16. In response to safety issues, Roblox has been improving its chat functionalities and parental controls, which include activity oversight, increased blocking capabilities, and chat moderation. Nevertheless, doubts persist regarding the effectiveness of these strategies in reducing child exploitation and predators. Critics contend that the technology may have a margin of error, with developers asserting that age estimation is accurate within two years and performs better for younger users.
Roblox is also contending with numerous lawsuits filed by state attorneys general and almost 80 lawsuits from victims and parents, alleging inadequate measures to thwart child sexual exploitation. Some of these lawsuits also involve Meta, Discord, and Snapchat, where inappropriate conversations that started on Roblox persisted. These cases will be consolidated before a single district judge in San Francisco. Roblox refutes the allegations.