Roblox will verify your age before chatting with others
What's the story
Roblox, the popular online gaming platform, will soon make facial verification mandatory for all users seeking access to its communication features. The change comes after a series of lawsuits and investigations over child safety systems on the platform. The new policy will be rolled out globally from January 2026, with an initial voluntary age-verification option starting this week.
Chat restrictions
Age-based chat feature to enhance user safety
Along with the age-check requirement, Roblox is also introducing an age-based chat feature. This means users will only be able to communicate with those in their own or similar age groups. The move is aimed at improving user safety and preventing potential risks like grooming and exposure to explicit content, which have been raised in lawsuits against the platform.
Verification details
Age-check process and data privacy measures
The age-check process will require users to open their camera app and follow on-screen instructions for facial verification. Once the process is complete, Roblox promises to delete all images or videos of users. This verification is done through third-party vendor Persona, which also deletes images and videos after processing. The platform hopes this new method will provide a more accurate way to verify ages than simply entering a birth year during account creation.
User interaction
Roblox's new age-based chat system explained
Once the age-check is finished, users will be informed of their assigned age group. There are six groups: under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20 and over 21. Users can then chat with others in their own or similar age groups as appropriate. For instance, a user estimated to be around 12 years old would fall into the 9-12 category and could communicate with those aged up to 15 years old.
Parental controls
Safety center for parents and caregivers
Roblox is also launching a new Safety Center, which will provide guidance and tools for parents and caregivers. The center will allow them to set up parental controls on the platform.