Roblox now requires users worldwide to complete an age verification in order to play

Following a number of lawsuits and investigations into child safety, Roblox has implemented facial verification for all users who want to chat with them. The company is now serving worldwide requirements after first testing in a limited markets last month.

To complete age verification, users must open the Roblox app, allow access to their camera, and follow a series of on-screen instructions to verify their face. Once age verification is done, Roblox says it will delete any photos or videos of users. The warranty is being processed by a third-party vendor, Persona, which also deletes photos and videos after the process is complete, Roblox says.

The company says users who are 13 or older can also choose to verify their age by ID verification instead of face verification. Roblox also stated that while age verification is optional, it is required if users want to connect. In other words, you don’t need to verify your age to use Roblox, but you do need to verify to use chat.

If the age check system incorrectly estimates the user’s age, they can appeal the decision and verify their age through other means, including ID verification or through parental controls that allow parents to change their child’s age.

“Using multiple signatures, Roblox regularly checks performance to determine if someone is bigger or smaller than expected,” the company wrote in a post. “When this happens, Roblox will soon ask users to repeat the age verification process.”

After users complete the age search, they can access age-specific chats, which means they can communicate with others of the same age. There are six age groups: under 9, 9 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18 to 20, and 21 plus. Users of any age can chat with people in groups above or below them. For example, users in the 9-12 age group can chat with users in their age groups, as well as those in the 9 and 13-15 age groups.

Roblox says chat is automatically disabled for children under 9 unless a parent gives consent through age verification.

The introduction of mandatory age checks comes amid several lawsuits, including from the Attorney General Texas and Louisianaagainst Roblox for child protection. Cases were filed the following reports that Roblox was targeting young users to dangerous threats, such as grooming and visible objects.

Roblox says the new age requirement will provide a more accurate way of verifying users’ ages, compared to simply entering users’ birthdays when creating an account.