Roblox Advances Age Estimation Technology and Introduces Standardized Ratings

In light of ongoing lawsuits related to child safety, the online gaming platform Roblox announced on Wednesday that it will be broadening its age estimation technology to encompass all users. The company is also teaming up with the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) to implement age and content ratings for the games and applications offered on its platform.

According to the company, by the year’s end, the age estimation system will be available to all Roblox users who engage with the company’s communication features, which include voice and text chat. This process involves scanning users’ selfies to analyze facial features for age estimation.

Roblox asserts that the age estimation technology complements other methods, such as ID age verification and verified parental consent, to provide a more accurate assessment of a user’s age, especially compared to simply asking for a birth date during account creation. The company also intends to implement additional measures to further limit communication between adults and minors on its platform.

Moreover, through its collaboration with IARC, Roblox will be replacing its current content and maturity labels with those utilized by global rating organizations. Consequently, U.S. users will receive ratings from the ESRB, while users in other nations will see ratings from their corresponding local authorities. For instance, players in the Republic of Korea will see GRAC ratings, players in Germany will see USK ratings, and users throughout Europe and the UK will receive PEGI ratings.

This labeling initiative is designed to help parents better understand the types of games their children are playing, particularly regarding elements that may raise concerns, including blood, violence, substances, gambling, and adult language in game content.

These enhancements follow earlier initiatives announced by the company in July, aimed at bolstering the safety of younger users.

Roblox has rolled out several safety features, such as an age verification system that assesses users’ ages via video selfies. This information is utilized to prevent users under 13 from accessing certain features within Roblox, including unfiltered voice and text chat. Furthermore, users aged 13 to 17 are restricted from adding anyone to their “trusted connections” unless they are known in real life, verified through contact imports or QR code scanning.

This initiative aligns with the rise of stricter laws and regulations globally requiring social platforms to verify user ages, including the U.K.’s Online Safety Act and Mississippi’s age assurance law, which has already caused the social network Bluesky to suspend operations in the state. Similar legislation is being considered in several other states, such as Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Virginia.

Roblox has been consistently investing in safety features throughout the years.

Among these tools is Roblox Sentinel, an open-source AI system designed to detect early signs of child endangerment. The company also offers parental controls, communication restrictions, and technology to identify servers where numerous users are breaking rules, enabling prompt takedowns.

Despite these measures, child predators continue to exploit the platform and target children, as highlighted in complaints filed by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and other lawsuits in California, Texas, and Pennsylvania.

Additionally, The Guardian recently reported on a study indicating that children using Roblox still frequently encounter inappropriate content and can engage with harmful individuals.

More recently, a popular Roblox farming simulator, Grow a Garden, has drawn attention as players began trading its virtual items on online marketplaces for real money, violating the platform’s rules. This issue has alarmed parents and others who are concerned that the game may encourage children to spend real money to compete with peers.

While changes to the ratings system may not fully eliminate negative experiences, they could at least provide parents with improved insight into the games their children are engaging with.

“Roblox is committed to creating a safe environment for our users and empowering parents to make informed choices for their children,” said Matt Kaufman, Roblox’s chief safety officer, in a prepared statement. “We are excited to partner with IARC and hope this will offer parents greater clarity and confidence regarding age-appropriate content.”