The online gaming platform Roblox is rolling out a new age verification system that scans users' faces to estimate their age and then limits what they can access on the platform. The system sorts players into bands, with younger children given the most restricted experience and older teenagers and adults granted broader access. The change is the latest in a series of safety measures the company has introduced in recent months as scrutiny over child protection on the platform intensifies.
Under the new rules, children under the age of nine are expected to have access only to games rated minimal or mild and will not have chat features unless their parents opt in through a linked parent account. Users between nine and fifteen can access moderate games and some chat features, while those aged sixteen and over generally will not face restrictions. The tiered approach is designed to match the type of content and contact available to a user's estimated age.
To show how the system works, the platform was tested with young Roblox fans aged seven to twelve who scanned their faces. According to the demonstration, the technology correctly identified all of their ages, even when an eleven-year-old named Cole Moretti tried to fool it by wearing a mustache to appear older. The system still estimated his age at between nine and twelve, and the boy admitted he had been surprised that he could not trick the technology.
Roblox has already rolled out a number of safety measures in recent months, and the tightening of controls has drawn pushback from some users who object to the changes. The company has been trying to balance demands for stronger protections for its youngest players against the concerns of a wider user base that has grown accustomed to fewer restrictions on the platform.
The pressure has been felt in the company's financial performance as well. Roblox shares plunged eighteen percent in a single day after it reported its first quarter earnings, and the platform saw its daily user base fall from around 152 million to 132 million in just six months. The steep drop underscored investor concern about both the regulatory environment and the platform's ability to retain users while it overhauls how it handles young players.
The new measures come after Roblox reached multi-million dollar settlements with the states of Nevada, Alabama and West Virginia over child safety. Connecticut is among several other states investigating the company or pursuing pending lawsuits against it, with one description of the platform branding it a predator's playground. The combination of legal settlements, ongoing investigations and the rollout of facial age checks marks a significant moment for a platform used by millions of children.