Due to a number of recent lawsuits and investigations involving the safety of minors, the online gaming platform Roblox announced that starting from January 2026, it will be mandatory for all users worldwide to conduct age verification through facial recognition. Only after verification can they use communication functions such as chat. At the same time, the platform will group users according to their age and only allow players of similar ages to communicate with each other.
It is reported that the Roblox platform has encountered multiple legal lawsuits in Texas and Louisiana in the United States. The cases accused it of prioritizing "pixel pedophilia" rather than protecting the safety of children. Social system risks include inducing minors and exposure to harmful content, etc., which has attracted public attention.
In terms of specific measures, starting from Tuesday, users can voluntarily conduct age verification to ensure continued use of communication functions. In early December, some markets such as Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand will first enforce this requirement. This regulation will be implemented globally from January 2026.
The Roblox age verification process requires users to turn on their cameras and follow on-screen instructions to complete facial recognition. The platform stated that the verification operation is handled by the third-party company Persona, and all user images and videos will be deleted after verification to ensure privacy and security.
After completing age verification, the system will inform the user of the age group they are assigned to. There are six groups: under 9 years old, 9-12 years old, 13-15 years old, 16-17 years old, 18-20 years old, 21 years old and above. Users can communicate with players of the same age group and similar age groups. For example, 12-year-old players are classified into the 9-12-year-old group and can chat with users 15 years old and below. Users over 16 years old cannot communicate with them.
Roblox executives explained at the press conference that this move is designed to allow users to socialize among appropriate age groups and effectively reduce the opportunities for communication between minors and unfamiliar adults. The company also emphasizes that this facial recognition verification more accurately reflects a user's true age than a new mechanism that creates accounts based solely on their birth year.
In addition, Roblox will launch a new safety center to provide parents and guardians with management tools and usage guidance, and support the setting up of more complete parental control functions.
Matt Kaufman, head of security at Roblox, said that this is the first corporate initiative in the gaming and social platform fields to enforce facial recognition age estimation to open communication functions, demonstrating the company's high priority on the safety of minors.