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Roblox Sets Mandatory Age Checks for Chat, Rolling Out Globally by January

Facial checks or IDs will place players in restricted age groups to limit contact between children and adults.

Overview

  • Age verification is optional starting today, becomes required in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands in early December, and extends worldwide in early January 2026.
  • Roblox uses Persona to process selfie or video age estimates with stated deletion of images after processing and typical accuracy within one to two years for ages roughly 5–25.
  • Users are assigned to six age bands—under 9, 9–12, 13–15, 16–17, 18–20, and 21+—and can chat only within their group or adjacent groups; chat for under‑9s is off by default unless a parent approves after an age check.
  • People who dispute an estimate can correct it with government ID if over 13 or through a linked parent account, and age checks will also gate access to social media links and other features next year.
  • The rollout follows mounting legal and regulatory pressure, including suits by state attorneys general and advocacy actions such as a ParentsTogether virtual protest, as Roblox launches a revamped Safety Center for families.