• Roblox launches facial recognition age checks for chat features amid child safety concerns.
• Users will be filtered into age bands to limit interactions between minors and adults.
• The age verification requirement will be enforced from December 2025 in select countries.
• Roblox emphasizes privacy by ensuring biometric data is not stored after usage.
• Concerns arise about the feasibility of implementing such age checks effectively.

Roblox, the popular gaming platform with over 150 million daily users, announced a significant update aimed at improving child safety. The platform will now require users to verify their age through facial recognition or government identification to access chat features. This initiative intends to protect young users by limiting interactions between children and adults, especially in private chat scenarios. As Roblox faces multiple lawsuits related to child safety, this change is positioned as a response to intensifying scrutiny and legal challenges concerning safeguarding minors online, according to latimes and thejakartapost.

The verification process involves users providing a live selfie or a valid ID to estimate their age, placing them into specific age brackets ranging from under 9 years to 21-plus. This structured system will help restrict chat functionalities based on age, which includes turning off chat features for users under 9 unless parental consent is granted. Developers assert this will improve user interactions within the platform while setting a new standard for online gaming safety measures, according to indiatimes.

Roblox’s rollout plan begins in December 2025, starting with countries like Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, before expanding globally in January 2026. Users who choose not to engage in the age-check process may find some chat features unavailable. This phased approach allows immediate voluntary participation, with mandatory checks following shortly after, which reflects wider industry trends toward rigorous age verification in response to increasing regulatory pressure, according to latimes and thejakartapost.

Roblox claims that the technology will accurately estimate ages, generally between 5 and 25 years old, allowing significant protection measures against potential child exploitation. By employing a third-party verification company, Persona, the platform maintains that it will not store users' facial images post-verification, thereby addressing privacy concerns. However, experts caution that the effectiveness of age verification technology remains uncertain, especially within varied online contexts, according to indiatimes.

Concerns linger about the feasibility of enforcing such measures effectively across different jurisdictions, especially given the challenges faced by similar initiatives in other platforms. Though Roblox has adopted these policies voluntarily, growing regulatory scrutiny, particularly in countries like Australia that are implementing strict age-related legislation on social media, signals that the gaming industry must adapt to enhance user safety continually. The company’s proactive approach and the legislative backdrop indicate a significant shift toward prioritizing the safety of younger users in online environments, according to thejakartapost and indiatimes.