Roblox Unveils Age-Detection Technology in Response to Australia's Upcoming Youth Social Media Restrictions

Share and Follow

One of the world’s biggest gaming platforms will ask all users to scan their face and let technology guess their age in a bid to restrict inappropriate conversations between children and adults.

Roblox announced the launch of age-estimation technology on Tuesday night, with age checks available as a voluntary measure before they become mandatory for Australians in December.

The change will be enforced one week before Australia’s social media ban for children under 16 years — which Roblox is exempt from.

Some experts say Roblox’s move could act like an insurance policy to keep the platform free of future restrictions.

Roblox is implementing a significant change that will require its estimated 380 million users to undergo age verification using technology from the U.S.-based company, Persona. This new system aims to ensure age accuracy, with capabilities to determine a user’s age within a one to two-year margin. For those wishing to correct their age estimation, the platform offers the option to upload government-issued identification.

The software will scan users’ faces and use artificial intelligence technology to guess their age before assigning their account to one of six age categories, including users aged under nine years, nine to 12 years, and 13 to 15 years, up to the age of 21.

After being assessed, users would be allowed to chat on the platform with peers in their group and adjacent age groups, to reduce the risk of inappropriate conversations, Roblox chief safety officer Matt Kaufman said.

In early 2025, there were calls from politicians for Roblox to be included in Australia’s social media age restrictions. However, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant clarified that Roblox, along with platforms like Discord and Steam, would not fall under this ban. Despite having a chat feature, Roblox is not considered a social media platform, according to company representatives. They express a desire to collaborate with regulators to enhance online safety standards.

“We decided that simply going with age-estimation was the path of least friction and the path that provided the best outcome and that minimised the collection of personal information,” Kaufman said.

The introduction of this age-verification comes at a critical time for Roblox, as the company is currently facing over 35 lawsuits in the United States. Among these legal challenges are allegations that the platform has permitted child sexual exploitation. As a multibillion-dollar enterprise, Roblox is under increasing pressure to improve its safety measures and address these serious accusations.

Despite its chat feature, Roblox was not a social media platform, Kaufman said, but he hoped the company could share its experience with regulators to lift online standards.

Roblox facing dozens of lawsuits

Roblox age restrictions will be required for its users in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands in the first week of December, before a global expansion in January 2026.

The changes come as the multibillion-dollar firm faces more than 35 lawsuits in the US, including allegations it allowed child sexual exploitation on its platform.

A tablet with a login screen for Roblox.

Roblox’s developers face dozens of lawsuits, including allegations it allowed child sexual exploitation on its platform. Source: AAP / AP / Leon Keith

Parents would likely welcome Roblox’s age restrictions, Swinburne University media senior lecturer Belinda Barnet said, which were also a savvy business move.

“This is a really sensible thing for them to do, like an insurance policy going into the future so they never fall under the ban while still having young users,” she told the Australian Associated Press.