An extremely popular user-generated content platform. Roblox is in the process of introducing age restrictions in chat, which will limit communication between minors and adults.
Roblox Owner Roblox Corp said it will be the first online gaming or communication platform to require age verification for communication. The move will set a “new industry standard” that will limit communications to users in the same or similar age group, the company said.
Roblox Corp has been widely criticized and frequently sued for allegedly failing to protect minors and enabling child predators. Earlier this month Roblox Corp sued in Texas for allegedly putting “pedophiles and profit” first in the latest in a series of similar trials. Roblox Corp has repeatedly denied these accusations while introducing new security features.
“We unlock chat and experiences that are age-appropriate for our users by requiring them to complete age verification through facial age assessment or identity verification1. Once age verification is completed, users will only be allowed to chat with others in similar age groups unless they are trusted connections to people they know,” the post reads. blog post detailing the latest addition to Roblox's list of child safety tools..
“This initiative is designed to provide even more age-appropriate experiences for all users, which we believe will improve the experience for users of all ages on Roblox.”
Roblox Users can now voluntarily complete a facial age assessment process to gain access to communication features. Roblox Corp will begin enforcing age verification requirements starting the first week of December in select markets, including Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
Age verification requirements will be introduced worldwide in January 2026.
Roblox will rely on third-party provider Persona to provide “fast” and “secure” age verification.
“We use privacy-protecting methods to verify age. The process of assessing a person's age is fast, secure, and done through the Roblox app using the device's camera,” the blog post continues.
“Images and videos for facial age verification are processed by our Persona provider and deleted immediately after processing. Age verification is completely optional; however, features such as chat will not be available until age verification is completed.”
Roblox Corp said it consulted with child development experts to determine “healthy limits” for who can socialize together. Once users complete the age verification process, they will be sorted into one of the following age groups: Under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, or 21+.
Users will then be able to communicate with other members of their group and similar groups if necessary. Young users will only be able to connect with people outside of that pool through the Trusted Connections tool, which Roblox Corp says will help families play together.
“Trusted Connections, available to all eligible users aged 13 and older, provides users with a unique environment to interact with trusted, self-identified individuals. Trusted connections are a subset of your general connections that you know and trust.” read by another explainer.
“Like regular connections, trusted connections are two-way. If one user decides not to add the other as a trusted connection or removes the other as a trusted connection, then neither user will see the other as a trusted connection.”
Roblox Corp stressed that age-verified users aged 13 to 17 will only be able to add trusted connections through select real-life channels, such as scannable QR codes or a contact importer. “This helps ensure that these cross-age connections are based on existing real-life relationships,” the company added.
