SAN MATEO, Calif. — Roblox, one of the world’s most popular gaming apps, is preparing to roll out new mandatory safety features.
Starting this month, all users will be required to undergo a face scan with AI-powered age estimation to continue using the platform’s chat features.
The changes are, in many ways, the company’s response to the increased scrutiny it faces over child safety on its apps. 42% of Roblox users are under 13 years old.
As attorneys general across the country investigate Roblox, facial scanning has begun, and nearly 80 lawsuits are currently pending against the company, some parents claim their children have encountered predators on the app.
One Thursday in late December, I visited Roblox’s headquarters to demo a new feature. I first contacted the company to discuss another story I was working on, a story about a pending lawsuit. I started asking questions about the upcoming age estimation tool and they invited me to come see it for myself. I was able to try out facial scanning from the comfort of my New York apartment, and I was intrigued.
Here’s what you need to know about this new Roblox feature up close
The night before my visit to Roblox headquarters, before the jet lag really set in, I decided it would be best to consider a face scan prior to meeting with a Roblox representative. I’m going to do a demo with them again, but I decided to take a peek to make sure I asked all the right questions.
At an airport hotel in Burlingame, California, I set up an account using the same cute social media handles I used as a kid.
A pop-up appeared on my phone. “You’ll soon need to verify your age to chat. This will take a moment.”
In a series of bullet points, I was assured that my camera would only be accessed to verify my age and that my images and videos would be deleted immediately after processing. In the light of my hotel room, I wore no makeup and let the filter scan my face from three angles.
A blue circle rotated before the app displayed my age estimate: 18 to 20 years old.
There’s just one problem. I’m 24 years old.
“Your age has been changed to 20 years old,” the message read. “You can use chat and party features, access restricted experiences, and collaborate in Studio with people in your age group.”
Naturally, I had some questions. How accurate should the age estimate be? How is the algorithm trained? Should facial scans be performed periodically after the photo is taken?
The next day I set out to get answers.
What Happened When I Let Roblox Scan My Face
Located on the northwest edge of Silicon Valley, Roblox is surrounded by a hub of AI startups and software companies. Just up the road in San Mateo, Sony Interactive Entertainment is home to PlayStation’s world headquarters.
When I arrived, a public relations staff member guided me through the winding hallways of conference rooms. Each conference room had a black “Roblox” television screen. There are actually three buildings on campus, each called a station, and I got lost many times.
First, we met with Matt Kaufman, Roblox’s Chief Safety Officer. When I asked about the allegations facing the company, he spoke confidently.
This facial age estimation feature is one he is particularly proud of.
He said Roblox’s data shows that facial scans can predict the age of users between the ages of 5 and 25 with an accuracy of less than two years. When I asked him about the discrepancy with my age, he quickly added that the product tends to be most accurate for younger users.
He said the algorithm is based on physiological changes that occur as we grow up, and because younger users generally improve faster, the algorithm can make more distinctions.
“As you get older, you make more mistakes,” Kaufman told me. “It’s even harder to tell if someone is 40, 45 or 50, for example.”
Three hours later, I tried the feature again. This time, under bright lights, we put on a full face of makeup and were coached by two of Roblox’s product leaders who helped drive the rollout of this feature.
Again, the application estimated my age to be between 18 and 20 years old.
Once users complete a face check, they are assigned to one of six age groups, ranging from under 9 to over 21. Kaufman said these groups try to imitate the kind of age groups you would see in real life.
But in my estimation, you’ll be chatting with a high school senior, college freshman, or sophomore. As a young professional living in Manhattan, this is a group I now rarely interact with.
The estimate was wrong, so I followed the app’s optional prompts and entered my ID photo to adjust my age.
How does this feature use AI?
Some people ask about the functionality of new features.
Cybersecurity expert Ben Gillenwater, known as TikTok’s “Family IT Guy,” said he has received messages from parents who have tried the facial scanning feature but are concerned about its accuracy.
Kaufman said parents should know that moderators also check to make sure age estimates match a user’s activity, adding that moderators flag cases where age may need to be re-verified.
I spoke with families across the country whose children play Roblox, and some expressed wariness about the use of artificial intelligence through third-party providers. (Roblox uses a company called Persona.)
Gillenwater pointed to previous issues with introducing similar features. In October, messaging platform Discord reported that hackers had breached 5CA, a third-party vendor it previously used for age verification, and stole up to 70,000 images of government-issued IDs in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Kaufman is confident in Roblox’s system and emphasized that any photos used for the app’s one-time age estimation will be removed immediately.
“We strongly believe that gradual age estimation is the most accurate and best option to use for Roblox, and what we would say to parents who are concerned about that is, if you don’t want your child to go through that process, that’s fine. Just don’t use chat,” Kaufman said.
How parents can keep their kids safe on Roblox
Founded in 2006, Roblox currently hosts over 40 million games known as “experiences.” Popular experiences on the platform include “Adopt Me!” There’s a game where players take care of pets, and Dress to Impress, a game built around a fashion runway show.
To those watching, it can feel like an alien, dopamine-fueled canvas, reverberating with clicks, the clang of Robux, and the clatter of avatars moving across the screen.
For many adults, Roblox’s interface can be confusing.
Elizabeth Milovidov, Roblox’s global head of parent advocacy, knows this.
“They just don’t know what Roblox is, right? And that’s the biggest problem for me,” Milovidov told me.
Her role, created in May, is meant to be a bridge between Roblox and parents.
“I call myself an ‘in-house mom,’” she said. “I wouldn’t say I’m a devil’s advocate or a naysayer, but the reality is that my role is to internalize whatever my parents say, whatever challenges they’re facing.”
She shared a personal anecdote from her experience as a parent of two teenagers. At a safety demo later that afternoon, Milovidov watched as two staff experts explained how to set up Roblox parental controls on iPhones and tablets.
Anyone can create an account on Roblox. But the option to link joint accounts will allow parents to further monitor their children’s chat settings, Robux spending limits and screen time limits, Milovidov said. Through these controls, parents can add users outside of their child’s age group so they can chat with a trusted adult.
What is important about Milovidov? App parental controls can be a great help if you know how to use them.
“If you know what they are and how to use them, you can lock things down,” Milovidov said. “If not, that’s another story.”
Gillenwater said the best way for parents to protect their children on Roblox and similar apps is to turn off the chat feature.
“If I’m going to let my kids play the game, is there online chat?” he said. “So, if that happens, can I turn it off? That’s my main filter.”
Milovidov regularly recommends that parents spend time exploring Roblox and understanding its interface. Adults should also ensure children’s accounts are registered at the correct age, and parents should regularly talk to their children about digital safety, he said.
There are limits to what Roblox can do, she added.
“No matter how much we innovate and do our best with technology, something always comes out. The bad guys are also innovating and leveling up,” Milovidov said. “There’s no such thing as a fail-safe, right?”
Rachel Hale’s role covering youth mental health for USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Contact her at rhale@usatoday.com. @rachleighhale With X.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
