Online gaming platform, Roblox, plans to implement 'facial age estimation technology' for its users, aiming to restrict interactions between adults and minors unless they are acquainted in real life.

Roblox, the popular online gaming platform, has been facing a growing backlash over the past few years due to concerns about its inability to keep young children away from potentially harmful content on the internet. This backlash reached a peak in 2025, with allegations that the platform has been unsafe for kids for years.

In an effort to address these concerns, Roblox Corporation has announced plans to implement facial age estimation technology in its communication systems. This technology works by analyzing a selfie to estimate the user's age and sort them into a rating group. The aim is to provide a more accurate measure of a user's age, combined with existing ID verification and parental consent tools.

This move by Roblox is part of a broader strategy to improve the safety of its platform. The company has also announced new systems to restrict communications between adults and minors unless they know each other in real life. This crackdown on "vigilantes" attracted significant attention, including from Chris Hansen, the host of the early 2000s television series To Catch a Predator.

Hansen is now reportedly working on a documentary about Roblox, highlighting the platform's safety issues and the steps being taken to address them. Democrat politician Ro Khanna has also criticized Roblox for not doing enough to protect children.

The ESRB proposed using facial scanning technology to estimate people's ages in 2023, but the FTC rejected it due to uncertainties about how the technology would work. Despite this, Roblox Corporation believes that its move will set a standard for other gaming, social media, and communication platforms to follow.

The new measures by Roblox aim to provide users with access to developmentally appropriate features and content. However, the implementation of these new systems has not been without controversy. In August 2022, Louisiana sued Roblox Corporation for allegedly endangering the safety of children. Popular Roblox YouTuber Schlep was also banned in the same month's crackdown on "vigilantes."

People in the UK have been able to bypass Discord's age verification system using Death Stranding's photo mode, raising questions about the effectiveness of age verification systems in general. Despite these challenges, Roblox Corporation remains committed to improving the safety of its platform and setting a new standard for online safety.