Roblox Launches Age Verification Feature in Australia, Advocating Against Child Social Media Ban

Roblox maintains that Australia’s forthcoming social media restrictions for users under 16 should not extend to its platform, as it rolls out a new age verification feature designed to block minors from communicating with unknown adults.

The feature, which is being launched first in Australia, allows users to self-estimate their age using Persona age estimation technology built into the Roblox app. This utilizes the device’s camera to analyze facial features and provide a live age assessment.

This feature will become compulsory in Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand starting the first week of December, with plans to expand to other markets in early January.

After completing the age verification, users will be categorized into one of six age groups: under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, or 21 and older.

Roblox has stated that users within each age category will only be able to communicate with peers in their respective groups or similarly aged groups.

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These changes were initially proposed in September and received positive feedback from Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, who has been in discussions with Roblox for several months regarding safety concerns on the platform, labeling this as a step forward in enhancing safety measures.

A recent Guardian Australia investigation revealed a week’s worth of virtual harassment and violence experienced by users who had set their profiles as eight years old while on Roblox.

Regulatory pressure is mounting for Roblox to be included in Australia’s under-16 social media ban, set to be implemented on December 10. Although there are exceptions for gaming platforms, Julie Inman-Grant stated earlier this month that eSafety agencies are reviewing chat functions and messaging in games.

“If online gameplay is the primary or sole purpose, would kids still utilize the messaging feature for communication if it were removed? Probably not,” she asserted.

During a discussion with Australian reporters regarding these impending changes, Roblox’s chief safety officer, Matt Kaufman, characterized Roblox as an “immersive gaming platform.” He explained, “I view games as a framework for social interaction. The essence lies in bringing people together and spending time with one another.”

When asked if this suggests Roblox should be classified as a social media platform subject to the ban, Kaufman responded that Roblox considers social media as a space where individuals post content to a feed for others to view.

“People return to look at the feed, which fosters a fear of missing out,” he elaborated. “It feels like a popularity contest that encapsulates social media. In contrast, Roblox is akin to two friends playing a game after school together. That’s not social media.”

“Therefore, we don’t believe that Australia’s domestic social media regulations apply to Roblox.”

When questioned if the new features were introduced to avoid being encompassed in the ban, Kaufman stated that the company is engaged in “constructive dialogue” with regulators and that these updates showcase the largest instance of a platform utilizing age verification across its entire user base.

Persona, the age verification company partnering with Roblox, Participating in Australian Age Guarantee Technology Trial. They reported a false positive rate of 61.11% for 15-year-olds identified as 16 years old and 44.25% for 14-year-olds.

Kaufman explained that the technology would likely be accurate within a year or two and that users who disagree with the assessment could correct it using a government ID or parental controls to establish an age. He assured that there are “strict requirements” for data deletion after age verification. Roblox states that ID images will be retained for 30 days for purposes such as fraud detection and then erased.

Users who opt not to participate in the age verification will still have access to Roblox, but they will be unable to use features like chat.

More than 150 million people globally engage with Roblox every day across 180 countries, including Australia. According to Kaufman, two-thirds of users are aged 13 and above.