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Roblox Requires ID or AI Face Scan and Launches Age‑Based Kids and Select Accounts

Aiming to cut underage exposure to strangers, the company says the rollout responds to mounting lawsuits, state probes, and new government rules.

Overview

  • Roblox began globally enforcing age checks this week by asking users to submit a government ID or complete an AI-powered video selfie that estimates age before unlocking full features.
  • The company is automatically sorting users into Roblox Kids (ages 5–8) and Roblox Select (ages 9–15) accounts that limit chat, restrict game catalogs, block social links, and prevent uploads like Moments for younger users.
  • Users who do not complete verification will have chat turned off, and parents can link accounts to set limits on friend lists, screen time, spending, and game access.
  • Roblox executives say the facial age estimate typically lands within about 1.4 years of a child’s true age and demos reported by news outlets showed children could not bypass the video selfie check.
  • The rollout follows growing legal pressure—including more than 150 lawsuits and a $23 million settlement with Alabama and West Virginia—and adds developer ID checks and extra moderation steps that aim to align the platform with proposed UK and U.S. rules.