Roblox's age-verification system was designed as a response to allegations it has a child predator problem. Less than a week in, how's it going? Well, Wired reported on Tuesday that, in some cases, it's classifying children as adults and adults as children. So, not so great!
Last week, Roblox made age verification mandatory for anyone using the platform's chat feature. That process involves either submitting a facial age estimate via selfie or (optionally for anyone 13 or older) uploading a government ID check. After verifying, you can only chat with groups of players around your age.
The move came after reports grew of predators using the platform to groom young children. That, in turn, led to lawsuits from Louisiana, Texas and Kentucky. Meanwhile, Florida's attorney general has issued criminal subpoenas.
So, it might not be hyperbole to say Roblox's survival could depend on how it handles this problem. It isn't exactly off to a hot start. There are reports of a 23-year-old being misidentified as a 16- to 17-year-old. ("I don't want to be chatting with fucking children," they said.) Another report claimed an 18-year-old was placed in the 13 to 15 range.
But the problem is happening in reverse, too. Online videos show children spoofing the system into believing they were adults by using avatar images. One clever kid drew wrinkles and stubble on his face and was instantly deemed 21+. Another flashed a photo of Kurt Cobain and got an adult classification.
In addition, Roblox posted last week that some parents were providing age checks on behalf of their children, leading to their children being placed in the 21+ category. The company said it's "working on solutions to address" that particular problem and will share more soon.
Roblox shared the following statement from Matt Kaufman, the company’s Chief Safety Officer:
“To suggest that our age check technology isn't working is a fundamental misunderstanding of what it takes to shift safety at scale. With a global community of over 150 million daily active users, we are pleased with where we are in the roll out process. It’s a process that will take time, you can’t flip a switch while building something that hasn’t existed before.
Tens of millions of users have already completed the process, proving that the vast majority of our community values a safer, more age-appropriate environment. Expecting the system to be flawless overnight is ignoring the scale of this undertaking. We’ve already shared updates with our creator community to make this a smoother transition. This technology is the foundation of a new gold standard that limits communication between adults and minors by default.
We are building for the next decade of the internet, not the next news cycle. We will continue to innovate, continue to require age checks, and continue to lead the industry where others have been too hesitant to go.”
Developers with games on Roblox are upset. The platform's dev forum includes thousands of negative comments about the updates, with many of them wanting the entire update reversed. One shared a graph showing that the percentage using the chat feature dropped from around 90 percent to 36.5 percent.
Where does this leave Roblox? Well, with some developers describing games on the platform as feeling "lifeless" or like "a total ghost town," the company has its hands full. It will have to figure out how to balance its priorities of keeping predators out without breaking things for everyone else. The full report from Wired is worth a read.
Update, January 15, 2026, 9:52AM ET: This story has been updated to include a statement from Roblox.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/robloxs-age-verification-system-is-reportedly-a-trainwreck-220320016.html?src=rssSign in to read the full article.
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