Roblox, the online gaming platform that has been under fire due to child safety concerns, has launched mandatory age check requirements for the US and other regions for online chat.
Players in all Roblox markets, including the US, are required to use the software if they want to engage in chats with other players. The change has started and is rolling out over the next week; the company says an in-app prompt will appear asking people to complete age verification if they want to chat with others.
In November, the company said it would be introducing age-verification software that uses facial scanning to estimate the age of players.
Roblox also previously launched a Safety Center hub with information for parents and parental control tools.
Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
According to the company, "tens of millions of daily active users" have already completed this age check. After launching the requirement early in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands, 50% of its daily active users had completed the age check, Roblox said.
In its post about the changes, the company also shared a video of a Tech Talks podcast in which founder and CEO Dave Baszucki explains how the age verification technology estimates someone's age.
Roblox says the age verification system is intended to limit contact between adults and children, which has been a chief concern among child safety advocates.
However, while some experts expressed optimism about Roblox's changes, they disagreed on whether the new features go far enough for the platform and whether Roblox's reputation can be repaired.
How Roblox age verification works
... continue reading