Roblox Tightens Up In-Game Chat with New Age Verification Requirement
In an effort to protect underage players, Roblox Corporation has announced that it will now require age verification for users who wish to use its in-game chat feature. Starting January 7, users in the US and abroad will be required to submit to facial age estimation via a selfie, with options to opt for ID-based checks for those aged 13 or older.
The move comes after mounting pressure from state attorneys general in Louisiana and Texas, who have accused Roblox of not doing enough to safeguard younger players. Facial age estimation is being provided by third-party vendor Persona, and images are deleted immediately after processing.
Once a player's age has been verified, they will be assigned to one of six age groups, ranging from under 9 to 21+, with restrictions on who they can chat with. However, users aged 13 or older may use the "Trusted Connections" feature to chat with players beyond their immediate group by using contacts imported via a phone or QR code.
In a bid to give parents more control over in-game interactions, players under 9 will have chat turned off by default unless a parent has approved its use after age verification. The company may also request users to resubmit verification if behavior suggests they are substantially older or younger than claimed.
Roblox has faced repeated criticism for not doing enough to protect younger players, with the company banning players under 13 from accessing certain in-game content and restricting their ability to direct message with other players outside of specific games. Last year, the company cracked down on user-created content following a lawsuit from Louisiana over disturbing in-game experiences that minors may have been exposed to.
The new age verification requirement will apply only to users who wish to use chat, not those who simply play the game itself.
In an effort to protect underage players, Roblox Corporation has announced that it will now require age verification for users who wish to use its in-game chat feature. Starting January 7, users in the US and abroad will be required to submit to facial age estimation via a selfie, with options to opt for ID-based checks for those aged 13 or older.
The move comes after mounting pressure from state attorneys general in Louisiana and Texas, who have accused Roblox of not doing enough to safeguard younger players. Facial age estimation is being provided by third-party vendor Persona, and images are deleted immediately after processing.
Once a player's age has been verified, they will be assigned to one of six age groups, ranging from under 9 to 21+, with restrictions on who they can chat with. However, users aged 13 or older may use the "Trusted Connections" feature to chat with players beyond their immediate group by using contacts imported via a phone or QR code.
In a bid to give parents more control over in-game interactions, players under 9 will have chat turned off by default unless a parent has approved its use after age verification. The company may also request users to resubmit verification if behavior suggests they are substantially older or younger than claimed.
Roblox has faced repeated criticism for not doing enough to protect younger players, with the company banning players under 13 from accessing certain in-game content and restricting their ability to direct message with other players outside of specific games. Last year, the company cracked down on user-created content following a lawsuit from Louisiana over disturbing in-game experiences that minors may have been exposed to.
The new age verification requirement will apply only to users who wish to use chat, not those who simply play the game itself.
. They're gonna try to sell us on this 'protection' thing, but I'm onto it 
. First, they'll take away our freedom to chat with friends and then they'll start asking for more personal info and taking pictures... next thing you know, they'll be tracking our every move online 
. And don't even get me started on this 'Trusted Connections' feature - sounds like a way to let the kids socialize without any oversight 
. I'm not buying it 
. They just want an excuse to collect more data and sell it to the highest bidder 
. Mark my words, this is all part of their plan to shape our youth into mindless drones 
.
it makes sense dat Persona's the one doin it tho since they're the ones doin the magic.
gotta keep those little rascals safe online 
... cant wait 2 c how this all shakes out 
its about time they took this seriously, im mean we all know how sketchy some of these games can be 
so yeah i'm low-key hyped that they're finally doing something about it 
and btw the fact that u gotta submit to facial age estimation via selfie is kinda cool tech-wise 
its like, hey we got this 
! I mean, come on, it's about time they stepped up their game (pun intended) and made age verification a requirement for in-game chat 
.
. And the fact that parents can opt-in to give their kids a little more freedom is a great touch 
.
. Fingers crossed it makes a real difference! 
. As a parent myself, I know how worried we are about our kids chatting with unknown people online. Roblox has been pretty lax on this front, and it's nice to see them taking steps to protect younger players. The fact that they're using facial age estimation is also a good move - it's not perfect, but it's better than nothing! 
Let's just hope other game devs follow suit! 
! They're finally taking steps to protect their younger players from potential harm online 
. I mean we've all seen or heard stories about kids being exposed to mature content or even predators while gaming, so it's about time they stepped up their game 
. Facial age estimation is a great way to verify users' ages without having them jump through hoops, and the fact that parents can control chat settings for under 9s is amazing 
. And kudos to Roblox for listening to the state attorneys general and taking action! Now we just gotta make sure our kiddos are being responsible with the chat feature 
i feel bad for all the kids on roblox who just wanna be friends but gotta worry about people who might try to hurt them online 
it's so unfair that some adults are still trying to take advantage of these little ones 
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that's just so sweet! 
and i'm sure there are gonna be some super cool features added to the game as a result of this change 
. It's about time they did something to ensure that minors aren't being exposed to toxic environments or predators in-game 
. The new age verification requirement and facial age estimation technology seems like a solid start towards making the platform safer for kids. I'm also loving the idea of parents having more control over their little ones' in-game interactions - it's about time they had peace of mind while letting their kiddos have some fun 
anyway its about time they stepped up their game (pun intended) since they already banned us under 13 from most content idk why they even bothered tho 
but its not like we werent getting around it already 
I think this is about time Roblox stepped up their security measures! I mean, we all know there are some questionable characters lurking around online