Overview
- Age verification is now available in-app and becomes required for chat in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands in early December, with enforcement expanding to remaining markets, including the U.S., by early January 2026.
- Users must complete a short video selfie age estimation or submit government ID, with Roblox saying Persona deletes images after processing and that the system typically estimates ages within one to two years for people roughly 5–25.
- After verification, accounts are placed into six cohorts (under 9, 9–12, 13–15, 16–17, 18–20, 21+), with chat limited to the same or nearby groups; under‑9 chat is off by default unless a parent approves, and ‘Trusted Connections’ can allow verified real‑world contacts.
- Private messages on Roblox are not end‑to‑end encrypted, which allows monitoring and moderation; the company also plans to require age checks for accessing social links and to apply age compatibility to Team Create in 2026, and it has launched a new Safety Center for caregivers.
- The move follows mounting legal and regulatory pressure, including lawsuits from Texas, Kentucky and Louisiana and a Florida criminal subpoena, as experts flag accuracy, privacy and possible spoofing concerns with facial age estimation.