Roblox will now restrict chat by age group, verified with selfie-based scans

[Alfonso Maruccia]

In context: Roblox is a gaming platform with a massive audience of teens and younger players. Authorities worldwide have criticized the service as a potential grooming ground for predators, but the company is now fighting back by imposing strict limits on its chat feature.

Roblox recently clarified its age verification requirement for gamers who chat with strangers on the platform. Children will only be able to chat with other children, the company says, aiming to set a safety "gold standard" for online gaming that it hopes other studios will adopt on their own platforms.

The update follows a series of controversies, lawsuits, and warnings about Roblox, which many now view as a potentially risky environment for younger players. The company has consistently denied these claims, emphasizing the significant resources and efforts it has invested to make the platform safe for all users.

Roblox announced the new age verification measures in September and is now providing additional details about the rollout. Chat access will be limited to players in the same age group, once the system estimates the correct group by analyzing the facial features in a player's selfie.

The new chat system automatically assigns players to age groups: under 9, 9 – 12, 13 – 15, 16 – 17, 18 – 20, and over 21. The nine-and-under age group has chat disabled by default. Other demographics can chat with strangers in the same age range. Additionally, users over 13 can communicate with parents or relatives that Roblox has vetted through its Trusted Connections feature.

Roblox emphasizes that moderators actively monitor all chats, that the system filters text by age group, and that sharing photos or videos in chat is prohibited for all users, regardless of age. The verification feature begins rolling out in December in select markets, including Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. In January, the system will expand to the rest of the world.

Roblox CFO Matt Kaufman told The Guardian that the age verification system should make chat more trustworthy for players of all ages. However, confidence in the platform remains at an all-time low. Earlier this month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Roblox for "putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety" of children.

Paxton is not the only official raising concerns. In August, Louisiana filed a suit against Roblox, alleging the company allowed sex predators and CSAM on its platform. Matt Dolman, a Florida attorney who has filed 28 separate lawsuits against the company, claims Roblox thrives on the systemic exploitation of minors and younger players.

One of Dolman's lawsuits involves a 13-year-old girl in Nevada, an "avid" Roblox player targeted by an alleged pedophile posing as another child. The predator reportedly manipulated her into sharing her phone number, explicit photos, and even videos.

"[We are] deeply troubled by any incident that endangers any user," a Roblox spokesperson said. "This is why our policies are purposely stricter than those found on many other platforms."

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Roblox will now restrict chat by age group, verified with selfie-based scans

 

[Theinsanegamer]

So what will happen: predators will trick the system with generated faces matching their targeted age group, and continue to pursue minors. Roblox will continue to ignore reports of predators and continue refusing to hold these people accountable.

It doesn't matter how many reports you generate if they all go into the shredder.

 

[yRaz]

So Roblox is going to take and store pictures of my kids to "keep them safe" but I can't decide what my kids are and are not allowed to do? I started doing masonry at 14 and my parents treated me as an adult. If I decide my kids are mentally competent to be treated as an adult, it is my choice.

 

[Anton Longshot]

While not my area of interest as I have no kids and skip the articles about this business I I've seen FORESTS of red flags connected to Roblox. Smoke & fire... <<<
I wouldn't let my kids use this for any reason. I'm aware that making kids do and not do stuff can be super difficult especially when peer pressure's involved but so be it, difficult be damned.

 

[unoficialoficial]

If kids aren’t given the chance to interact with adults, they might never reach their full intellectual potential. Thankfully, we’ve got AI now to help bridge that gap. You know how people really start thinking deeply around age 15? So a 20-year-old’s only had about five years of real thought under their belt. Meanwhile, a 50-year-old’s been reflecting on life for 35 years—and has seen how society actually works, with all its rules and complexities. Take someone who’s 100 today: they’ve lived through everything from the end of WWI to right now. A 20-year-old, though, barely remembers a world without the internet or smartphones. If we don’t pass along the wisdom and experiences of older generations to the young, we’re just letting that knowledge vanish forever.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

If kids aren’t given the chance to interact with adults, they might never reach their full intellectual potential. Thankfully, we’ve got AI now to help bridge that gap. You know how people really start thinking deeply around age 15? So a 20-year-old’s only had about five years of real thought under their belt. Meanwhile, a 50-year-old’s been reflecting on life for 35 years—and has seen how society actually works, with all its rules and complexities. Take someone who’s 100 today: they’ve lived through everything from the end of WWI to right now. A 20-year-old, though, barely remembers a world without the internet or smartphones. If we don’t pass along the wisdom and experiences of older generations to the young, we’re just letting that knowledge vanish forever.

Why do I feel that somebody needs to take a very close look at your hard drive?

 

[unoficialoficial]

Why do I feel that somebody needs to take a very close look at your hard drive?

Maybe it's because you're not intellectual enough, or maybe it's something else entirely.

 

[Cal Jeffrey]

Why do I feel that somebody needs to take a very close look at your hard drive?

Maybe it's because you're not intellectual enough, or maybe it's something else entirely.

Okay. Okay. I think @Theinsanegamer was just being sarcastic. Let's not start a flame war.

 

[Anton Longshot]

You know how people really start thinking deeply around age 15?

No I don't. You are wrong. I started MUCH earlier and am pretty sure I know quite a few people in the same boat. I don't think it's unusual/exceptional either.
Don't mistake beliefs for facts and/or general knowledge.
The world is a big place and not everyone is the same, not by a long shot (my fav pun).

 

[candle86]

If kids aren’t given the chance to interact with adults, they might never reach their full intellectual potential. Thankfully, we’ve got AI now to help bridge that gap. You know how people really start thinking deeply around age 15? So a 20-year-old’s only had about five years of real thought under their belt. Meanwhile, a 50-year-old’s been reflecting on life for 35 years—and has seen how society actually works, with all its rules and complexities. Take someone who’s 100 today: they’ve lived through everything from the end of WWI to right now. A 20-year-old, though, barely remembers a world without the internet or smartphones. If we don’t pass along the wisdom and experiences of older generations to the young, we’re just letting that knowledge vanish forever.

Children can talk to their teacher and their parents there's absolutely no reason for a random adult to be talking to a kid at all. We teach kids stranger danger for a reason. If I saw random adult talking to my kid I'm going to punch him in the face and ask questions next because they have no business talking to my kid.

 

[yRaz]

Children can talk to their teacher and their parents there's absolutely no reason for a random adult to be talking to a kid at all. We teach kids stranger danger for a reason. If I saw random adult talking to my kid I'm going to punch him in the face and ask questions next because they have no business talking to my kid.

I'm more uncomfortable knowing that companies like Roblox are taking pictures of my kids for "their safety" than I am of them maybe talking to strangers. That's certainly a risk we all take when/if we allow our kids to use the Internet unsupervised, but maybe it's our responsibility as parents to educate our kids and monitor their activity rather than have random corporations taking pictures of our kids for "their safety."

I find these services being more dangerous to my kids because of their data collection practices than the likelihood that they, as individuals, are likely to encounter.

Is the risk there? Sure, but maybe I should educate them more and just be a proper parent instead of having a corporation take pictures of them for "reasons"

 

[yRaz]

I'm more uncomfortable knowing that companies like Roblox are taking pictures of my kids for "their safety" than I am of them maybe talking to strangers. That's certainly a risk we all take when/if we allow our kids to use the Internet unsupervised, but maybe it's our responsibility as parents to educate our kids and monitor their activity rather than have random corporations taking pictures of our kids for "their safety."

I find these services being more dangerous to my kids because of their data collection practices than the likelihood that they, as individuals, are likely to encounter.

Is the risk there? Sure, but maybe I should educate them more and just be a proper parent instead of having a corporation take pictures of them for "reasons"

Just to further drive home my point, Roblox demands they have pictures of my kids to use their service. The weirdos on the Internet they might encounter have to ASK for pictures first and then they have to be foolish enough to send them.

 

[unoficialoficial]

Children can talk to their teacher and their parents there's absolutely no reason for a random adult to be talking to a kid at all. We teach kids stranger danger for a reason. If I saw random adult talking to my kid I'm going to punch him in the face and ask questions next because they have no business talking to my kid.

Growing up, I always gravitated toward older people—like, the smarter, more mature adults—because I never really fit in with kids my age. At 12, I was hanging out with groups of people way older than me, like 30-60. Honestly, I can speak from personal experience: there’s absolutely no risk here. The other kids were getting hurt all the time—serious injuries, even fatal ones—just messing around with bikes, skateboards, fights, etc. Meanwhile, I never once got a scratch.

Plus, let’s be real: if a random kid was talking to you and unless you think you’re some rare exception (spoiler: you’re not), they wouldn’t feel threatened or at risk. So yeah, the same goes for pretty much everyone else. And honestly? Nobody “actually” wants your kid. It’s got emotional value for you, but to others? It’s just… a kid. They can’t really form opinions, do meaningful work, or help out with anything. If you try handing them off to someone else to babysit while you’re busy at work for a long stretch, they’ll probably just want to get paid for it. So, there is really no need for an overreaction.

 

[candle86]

I'm more uncomfortable knowing that companies like Roblox are taking pictures of my kids for "their safety" than I am of them maybe talking to strangers. That's certainly a risk we all take when/if we allow our kids to use the Internet unsupervised, but maybe it's our responsibility as parents to educate our kids and monitor their activity rather than have random corporations taking pictures of our kids for "their safety."

I find these services being more dangerous to my kids because of their data collection practices than the likelihood that they, as individuals, are likely to encounter.

Is the risk there? Sure, but maybe I should educate them more and just be a proper parent instead of having a corporation take pictures of them for "reasons"

Oh I don't let mine use the Internet at all to young, but with my now ex step daughter she got a flip phone, and access to the internet only in the living room, she had a tablet but I blocked port 80 and 443 for it on the router and she couldn't install anything without my password.

 

[candle86]

Growing up, I always gravitated toward older people—like, the smarter, more mature adults—because I never really fit in with kids my age. At 12, I was hanging out with groups of people way older than me, like 30-60. Honestly, I can speak from personal experience: there’s absolutely no risk here. The other kids were getting hurt all the time—serious injuries, even fatal ones—just messing around with bikes, skateboards, fights, etc. Meanwhile, I never once got a scratch.

Plus, let’s be real: if a random kid was talking to you and unless you think you’re some rare exception (spoiler: you’re not), they wouldn’t feel threatened or at risk. So yeah, the same goes for pretty much everyone else. And honestly? Nobody “actually” wants your kid. It’s got emotional value for you, but to others? It’s just… a kid. They can’t really form opinions, do meaningful work, or help out with anything. If you try handing them off to someone else to babysit while you’re busy at work for a long stretch, they’ll probably just want to get paid for it. So, there is really no need for an overreaction.

As I myself a guy that was molested by a stranger I'm never going to be that trusting of strangers around my kids.

When I was 10 an adult was quite friendly to me, we talked Star Trek and ww2, both things I loved at that age. He lured me into his house and I'm not going into detail, but today I will question the motive of any adult or teenager. I lived with guilt for years about it because I thought it was my fault, and I'll never let my children be caught in that situation, I'll never allow them to be around adults unsupervised by me or mom or a teacher

 

[ZedRM]

I'd bet real money this doesn't work. Pervs are just going to fake their faces.. They need to shut the chat and communications off.

 

[RaXelliX]

So Roblox is going to take and store pictures of my kids to "keep them safe" but I can't decide what my kids are and are not allowed to do? I started doing masonry at 14 and my parents treated me as an adult. If I decide my kids are mentally competent to be treated as an adult, it is my choice.

The law is the law. You cant randomly decide that your 14 year old is now adult and can do adult things -even legally not bad stuff like working at construction. The law cannot account for developmental differences. Some people are forced to take on responsibilities at a young age. Too young.

Children are children and should have a childhood. Not forced to be unpaid babysitter four their younger siblings because mom or dad (or both) are drunk and not forced to get a job to help pay the bills.