Roblox today activated an age verification feature with a selfie scan before users are allowed to access the in-game text and voice Chat features. The move was taken to increase security specifically to ensure age-appropriate interactions.
Users will need to verify that they are 13 years old or older with an automatic selfie system with this feature being mandatory for all users worldwide. The feature has only been mandatory for users in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands since December last year.
The move also enables the Chat feature by age group, thus limiting communication between children and adults. The age verification process is carried out through Facial Age Estimation technology in the Roblox application. According to Roblox, all images used in the verification process will be deleted once it is finished processing to ensure user privacy is preserved.
After the age verification, users will be placed in groups: under 9, 9–12, 13–15, 16–17, 18–20 and 21+. They will only be allowed to chat with people of the same or similar age groups as specified. Exceptions are granted through the Trusted Connections function which allows interactions with family members or close contacts.
