- Roblox is the first online gaming or communication platform to require facial age checks to access chat, establishing a new industry standard.
- The rollout began with a voluntary age check period. The requirement will begin in select markets in early December and expand globally in early January wherever chat is available.
- The Facial Age Estimation process was designed to protect privacy. Images and video are deleted immediately after processing.
Roblox is rolling out a major safety update that will require users to verify their age using a quick facial scan before they can access chat features. The goal is to reduce contact between adults and minors and make communication safer across the platform.
Roblox says this new policy is designed to:
Limit who kids can talk to by grouping users by age
Prevent adults from initiating chat with minors
Ensure kids have age-appropriate experiences
Create a new industry standard for online communication safety
The company is the first major gaming platform to require facial age checks for chat.
What changes for your child
Your child won’t be able to use chat unless they complete a facial age check or upload an ID.
The process is done inside the Roblox app using the device’s camera and takes just a few seconds.
Once verified, Roblox assigns users to an age bracket:
Under 9
9–12
13–15
16–17
18–20
21+
Your child will automatically be restricted to chatting only with kids in their age group or nearby age groups. Adults will not be able to engage with minors unless added as a Trusted Connection (for example, a parent or older sibling).
If your child is under nine, chat will be off unless you turn it on after they complete an age check.
Chat outside of experiences remains limited for users under 13.
What doesn’t change
You stay in control. You can still manage your child’s account through Parental Controls.
Strict content filtering remains in place. Kids under 13 still receive the most restrictive chat filtering.
No image or video sharing. Roblox continues to block all media sharing in chat.
All chat is monitored. Roblox uses AI and human review to watch for harmful behavior.
Is the age check safe?
Roblox said it designed the system to protect privacy:
Images and video used for the scan are processed by a third-party vendor (Persona)
They are deleted immediately after age is estimated
Roblox does not store your child’s image or face data
The company said this method is safer than storing IDs or biometric information long-term.
How parents can verify their child
Open the Roblox app on your child’s devic
Go to settings and select Age Verification
Choose Facial Age Estimation
Follow the prompts to complete the scan
Once complete, you can modify your child’s birthdate or adjust settings in Parental Controls
No additional apps or uploads are required.