Roblox Will Request Video Selfies To Estimate Players Age

As one of the biggest video game platforms in the world, and with a particularly high proportion of minors among its player base, Roblox has had to invest heavily in trust and safety technology over the past decade. As part of its ongoing effort to disrupt abuse, misuse, and harm, the company is rolling out a new system to verify players' age: "age estimation" through analysis of video selfies.

In a press release, Roblox announced that it is reconfiguring how its social features work to better protect minors from untrusted or potentially exploitative interactions. First, it is introducing a two-tiered "Connections" system to govern how players are linked to one another: normal and "Trusted Connections."

Two players who are Trusted Connections will be able to communicate with each other without restriction, including via party and text chat with no filters. However, becoming Trusted Connections will require clearing several hurdles designed to reduce the potential of child exploitation or other types of harm.