Roblox launches facial recognition technology in new safety update

Roblox users are set to notice a major change in the way the platform’s chat functionality works.

A new safety feature has been launched that aims to protect kids from being spoken to by unknown adults or older teens.

Players of all ages will soon be required to use facial recognition* technology to access communication and chat features.

The new feature was introduced on November 19, allowing users to voluntarily complete the Facial Age Estimation process.

And by the first week of December, the process will become compulsory* for all Australian users, before being rolled out across the world in January.

A NEW ERA OF AGE PROTECTION
Roblox’s move to mandate* age checks for all users will be a world-first for a gaming platform.

Roblox said the safeguard was essential. Every day about 150 million people log into the popular gaming platform and exchange more than six billion messages.

“Our job is to create tools that parents can use and create situations for parents to have conversations with their kids about what they’re doing online,” Roblox chief safety officer Matt Kaufman said.

HOW DOES ROBLOX’S AGE VERIFICATION WORK?
The new system will require users to snap an image of their face and submit it to Roblox, which will then verify* their age before granting access to chat features.

Users will then be sorted into one of six groups based on their age range, meaning users will be placed with people who are the same age as them.

The group ranges include under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20 and then over 21s.

“This helps ensure users are able to socialise with others in their age groups safely, while also limiting contact between minors* and adults that they do not know,” Roblox VP and head of user and discovery products Raj Batia said.

Roblox explained the system does not identify users. Instead, it uses AI* to analyse facial features and estimate age – without storing the image or linking it to identity.

Once the image is processed securely, the data is immediately deleted by its third-party vendor*, Persona.

“(We) determine, one, that you’re a real person, and two, estimate your age, and then we immediately delete the video and image that are taken during that process,” Mr Kaufman said.

The company insisted the update marked a major step toward a safer online experience, one it said would reshape how young people connected on the platform.

“These new systems that we’re creating and launching to do age estimation before somebody gains access to chat, we believe, will make this platform safer and more civil for everybody on the platform,” Mr Kaufman said.

“We want to create age-appropriate and positive experiences for our users to participate in. And we set an extremely high standard for ourselves. And we know that the public expects the same thing from us.”

A new Safety Centre will also be introduced for parents, where they can find resources and clear guidance on how to set up Parental Controls and support their child’s online safety.

WHAT OTHER CHANGES ARE COMING?
The rules on Roblox are also set to get stricter, with no dating or inappropriate content allowed. Offensive language, such as swearing, also won’t be accepted, Mr Kaufman said.

“We also don’t allow people to share images and video when they’re talking to each other,” Mr Kaufman explained.

Users who choose not to complete the process will still be able to play but will not have access to chat features.

Data shows most Roblox users are children 13 and over.

Young Australians under the age of 16 will soon be required to log off from social platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram as the December 10 social media ban comes into effect.

Roblox is not currently included in the government’s world-leading move to protect kids online.

The platform’s ability to use AI-driven facial recognition is just one example of the tools that large tech companies have at their disposal when it comes to verifying the age of users.

“Safety is something that’s central to what we do on Roblox. It really goes back to the founding of Roblox nearly 20 years ago, where there was a goal of creating a safe and civil place for people to come together,” Mr Kaufman said.

“There is no silver bullet to safety … instead, you have to think about multiple overlapping systems and how they all work together.”

On Friday, the government announced gaming platform Twitch would be included in the social media ban for under 16s because of its streaming features.

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POLL

GLOSSARY

• facial recognition: a form of technology that scans the faces of users in order to identify their features
• compulsory: required
• mandate: formally order
• verify: prove
• minors: people under the age of 18, who legally aren’t considered to be adults yet
• AI: Artificial Intelligence, the ability of computer systems to perform tasks traditionally associated with human intelligence by using data and algorithms to simulate human learning and problem solving in order to make decisions
• third-party vendor: a separate company paid by Roblox to provide the service

EXTRA READING
U16 social media ban explained
Teens share golden rules of gaming
Pat Cummins feeds his inner child

QUICK QUIZ
1. Why is Roblox launching an age verification tool?
2. How does their Facial Age Estimation process work?
3. How many age groups does it divide users into?
4. When will this process become mandatory for users in Australia?
5. What date does Australia’s social media reform for under 16s come into effect?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Keeping kids safe
What do you think is needed to keep kids safe in online spaces?

Write a list of 10 rules or guidelines for technology use that you think would keep children safe. Your list can include things that children, parents, technology companies or the government must do.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Digital Literacy

2. Extension
Discuss with a friend what you think some potential problems could be with Roblox’s Facial Age Estimation process. Choose one problem, write it down, and then brainstorm some possible solutions.

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Digital Literacy

VCOP ACTIVITY
Vivacious vocabulary
Find words in the text that you find high-level and highlight them in yellow.

They are not wow words yet because you might not understand what they mean. Some of the words you have highlighted might be in the glossary, but there are probably some extra ones that you need to investigate further.

Pick three of your highlighted words and let’s investigate.

Create a card template that you can use as a resource in your classroom.

At the top write one of your highlighted words. Underneath this, add a kid-friendly definition. That means you might need to first look up the word in the dictionary, then rewrite the definition to make more sense to kids.

Next you’ll need to come up with two new examples of sentences for your word to show how it can be used.

And finally, see if you can create two activities that you could do to investigate the word further.

Share with a classmate to see what word they chose. Can you complete each other’s activity?