What just happened? It's not just porn sites and UK Reddit that are introducing facial scan/government ID-based age verification. Roblox, the online game creation platform popular among minors, is also doing it. The system is part of a new feature that lets trusted friends talk to each other – as long as they confirm they're over 13.
Roblox writes that to better reflect how its users connect and interact, it is renaming Friends to Connections. There will also be a Trusted Connections section where people can use unfiltered text chat and the Party social feature.
Trusted Connections is only available for users aged 13 years and older. A new tool verifies someone's age via a video selfie, which is analyzed against a large and diverse dataset to estimate their age.
Matt Kaufman, Roblox's chief safety officer, writes that if the system is not able to estimate the user's age with high confidence, then their age will remain unconfirmed and they won't be able to access Trusted Connections. If the person really is over 13, they can confirm this using ID verification. It's uncommon for very young teens to have government photo IDs in the US, but they can still be verified though parental consent.
Users who pass the age check will be able to use the Trusted Connections feature to add anyone aged 13 to 17. Over 18s need to be added via an in-person QR code scan or via a phone number – proving they know them in real life.
Inappropriate language and personally identifiable information filters are removed in Trusted Connections' Party voice and text chats, though they are still subject to Roblox's community standards and moderation. A spokesperson told The Verge that an example of the inappropriate language that was allowed was "butt-head." Roblox will monitor the conversations for "critical harm," such as inappropriate behavior or requests.
Roblox is using Persona's age verification technology for its new feature. It's the same company that Reddit is using to confirm that its UK users are over 18 when trying to access adult content on the platform. Persona says it will delete stored biometric data after 30 days, "except for a few exceptions where legally required."
Roblox has faced criticism in the past for not doing enough to protect its mostly very young player base. It introduced some new restrictions last year after a Bloomberg report highlighted the growing problem of predators on the platform.
In March, CEO and co-founder David Baszucki told parents that if they were concerned about the content or interactions their children might encounter on Roblox, they should just keep them off the platform.