Roblox has rolled out new age verification features in Australia, allowing users to voluntarily have their age estimated via facial recognition technology. The feature, powered by Persona, will become mandatory in Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand from early December, expanding globally in January.
Users will be assigned to one of six age groups—under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, or 21+—and can only chat with peers in similar age brackets. The changes follow negotiations with the Australian eSafety commissioner, who praised the move as a step towards safer platforms.
Roblox insists it should be exempt from Australia's upcoming under-16s social media ban, arguing it is a gaming platform, not social media. Chief safety officer Matt Kaufman stated, "Roblox is two friends coming home after school and playing a game together. That is not social media."
The eSafety commissioner had previously noted that gaming platforms are exempt from the ban, but the regulator has faced pressure to include Roblox due to its chat functionality. A Guardian Australia investigation documented virtual sexual harassment and violence on the platform.
Critics point to a 61.11% false positive rate for 15-year-olds in Australia's age assurance trial. Kaufman acknowledged the technology is accurate within one to two years and allows users to correct errors via government ID or parental controls. Data is deleted after 30 days for fraud detection.
