SAN MATEO, CA — Roblox, one of the most popular gaming apps in the world, is preparing to roll out a new mandatory safety feature.
Beginning this month, all users will be required to undergo an AI-powered age-estimator facial scan in order to continue using the platform’s chat feature.
The change, in many ways, is the company’s answer to scrutiny it’s faced over child safety on the app. Forty-two percent of Roblox users are under 13.
The face scan is launching as attorneys general around the country are investigating Roblox, and there are at nearly 80 active lawsuits against the company, with some parents alleging their children encountered predators on the app.
On a Thursday in late December, I traveled to Roblox’s headquarters to do a demo of the new feature. I’d first contacted the company to discuss another story I was working on − about the pending lawsuits − and when I began asking questions about the forthcoming age estimator, they suggested I come see it for myself. Though I could have tried the face scan from the comfort of my apartment in New York, I was intrigued.
We saw this new Roblox feature up-close, and here’s what to know
The night before my visit to the Roblox headquarters, before the jet lag fully set in, I decided it would be best to explore the face scan ahead of my sit-down with Roblox reps. I’d do the demo with them again, but I decided to get a peek so I could be sure to ask all the right questions.
At an airport hotel in Burlingame, California, I set up my account with the same cutesy social media handle I used as a kid.
A pop-up appeared on my phone: “You’ll soon need an age check to chat. It only takes a moment.”
A series of bullet points assured me my camera would be accessed only for the age check and that my images and video would be deleted immediately after processing. In the light of my hotel room, makeupless, I let the filter scan my face from three angles.
A blue circle whirred before the app revealed my age estimation: 18 to 20.
There’s just one problem: I’m 24.
“We changed your age to 20,” a message read. “You can use chat and Party features with people in similar age groups, access restricted experiences, and collaborate in Studio.”
Naturally, I had some questions: How accurate is the age estimator supposed to be? How is the algorithm trained? After the photo is taken, will I have to do routine face scans?
The next day, I set out to get my answers.
Here’s what happened when I let Roblox scan my face
Nestled at the northwestern edge of Silicon Valley, Roblox is surrounded by a hub of AI startups and software firms. Just up the road in San Mateo, Sony Interactive Entertainment houses the global headquarters of PlayStation.
Upon my arrival, a communications staffer walked me through a winding corridor of meeting rooms, each with a black “Roblox” TV screen. The campus is actually three buildings, each referred to as a station, and we got lost more than once.
First, I met with Roblox’s chief safety officer, Matt Kaufman. He spoke confidently as I questioned him about allegations the company has faced.
This facial age estimation feature is something he’s especially proud of.
He said Roblox’s data shows the face scan can predict ages within two years of accuracy for users between 5 and 25. When I asked him about the discrepancy with my age, he was quick to add that the product tends to be most accurate for younger users.
The algorithms are based on physiological changes that happen when you grow up, he said, and generally, because younger users are progressing faster, the algorithm is able to make more distinctions.
“As you get older, the errors increase,” Kaufman told me. “Whether somebody is 40 years old or 45 or 50, for example, it’s more difficult to tell.”
Three hours later, I tried the feature again, this time in bright lighting, with a full face of makeup, and guided by two of Roblox’s product leads who helped facilitate the rollout of this feature.
Again, the application estimated my age as 18 to 20.
After users complete the facial check, they’re assigned to one of six age groups ranging from under 9 to 21+. Kaufman said these groups try to imitate the clusters of age groupings you would see in real life.
But my estimate would have me chatting with high school seniors, college freshman or sophomores. It’s a group I rarely interact with now as a young professional living in Manhattan.
I followed the app’s optional prompts to input a photo of my ID to adjust my age, given that the estimator was incorrect.
How does the feature use AI?
Others also have questions about the functionality of the new feature.
Ben Gillenwater, a cybersecurity expert known as the “Family IT Guy” on TikTok, said he’s been receiving messages from parents who have tried the face-scan feature and are concerned about its accuracy.
Kaufman said those parents should know moderators are also making sure estimated ages line up with a user’s activity, adding that moderators will flag cases where an age reverification might be necessary.
I’ve spoken with families across the country whose children play Roblox, and some expressed a wariness about the use of artificial intelligence via a third-party provider. (Roblox uses a company called Persona.)
Gillenwater pointed to previous issues with the deployment of similar features. In October, the messaging platform Discord reported that hackers compromised 5CA, the third party vendor, that it previously used for age verification, stealing up to 70,000 images of government-issued IDs in Australia and the U.K.
Kaufman is confident in Roblox’s systems, and he emphasized that the photos used for the app’s one-time age estimation are immediately deleted.
“We believe strongly that a phased age estimation is the most accurate, best option to use for Roblox, and for parents who are concerned about it, what we would say is, if you don’t want your kid to go through the process, that’s fine, just don’t use chat,” Kaufman said.
How parents can keep their kids safe on Roblox
Created in 2006, Roblox now hosts more than 40 million games, known as “experiences.” Popular experiences on the platform include “Adopt Me!” where players take care of pets, and “Dress to Impress,” a game built around fashion runway shows.
To an onlooker, it can feel like a foreign, dopamine-fueled canvas, with the whirring sound of clicks, Robux cha-chings and the clacking of avatars moving across the screen.
To many adults, Roblox’s interface is confusing to navigate.
Elizabeth Milovidov, Roblox’s global head of parental advocacy, knows this.
“They just don’t know what Roblox is, right? And so that, for me, is the biggest issue,” Milovidov told me.
Her role, created in May, is intended to be a bridge between Roblox and parents.
“I call myself an ‘inside mom,’” she said. “I won’t say I’m the devil’s advocate or the naysayer, but really, whatever parents are saying and the challenges that they’re facing, that is my role to bring it internally.”
She shared personal anecdotes, drawing from her experiences as a parent to two teenagers. At the safety demo later that afternoon, Milovidov watched as two on-staff experts walked me through how to set up Roblox’s parental controls on an iPhone and tablet.
Anyone can create an account on Roblox. But the option to link a joint account, Milovidov said, provides parents with more oversight of their children’s chat settings, Robux spending limits and screen time restrictions. Through these controls, parents can add users outside of their kids’ age grouping to enable chat with trusted adults.
Milovidov’s overarching point? The parental controls on the app go a long way if you know how to use them.
“If you know what they are, if you know how to use them, then you can lock things down,” Milovidov said. “If you don’t, then it’ll be another story.”
Gillenwater said the best way for parents to protect their kids on Roblox and similar apps is to turn off chat functions.
“If I’m going to let my kid play a game, [I ask] does it have online chat?” he said. “And then if it does, can I turn it off? That’s my main filter.”
Milovidov routinely recommends parents spend time exploring Roblox and getting to know its interface. Adults also need to ensure their kids’ accounts are registered at the correct age, and parents should be having regular conversations with their children about digital safety, she said.
Roblox can only do so much, she added.
“There’s always going to be something no matter how much we innovate and do the best for technology, bad actors are also innovating and leveling up,” Milovidov said. “Nothing is fail-safe, right?”
Rachel Hale’s role covering Youth Mental Health at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Reach her at [email protected] and @rachelleighhale on X.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
link
More Stories
Tech Plus Product: A Comprehensive Review of Its Features and Benefits
Here Are the New Features Coming in iOS 26.4
Tested on Palestinians: Epstein, Israel’s Barak pushed spy tech in Nigeria | Features