Roblox rolls out facial age estimation for chat access globally

Roblox has rolled out an age assurance requirement to access chat features globally, after piloting the feature in several countries last year.

The social gaming platform has been embroiled in lawsuits over its allegedly lax safety measures, and has promised to respond by becoming “the “gold standard for communication safety.” Roblox uses facial age estimation (FAE) technology from Persona for its age check for chat requirement, which requires users to do an age check before they can interact with others on the platform

The system is tiered into six age bands, from under 9 to over 21. Users who want to chat will be allowed to interact with those in their estimated age band and below. (For example, a kid in the 13-15 category can chat with anyone 15 or younger, but not with anyone in bands covering ages 16-21.)

In a blog, Roblox touts the accuracy of Persona’s FAE system. “The technology used by our vendor, Persona, has been tested and certified by third-party laboratories. The age estimation models used achieved a Mean Absolute Error of 1.4 years for users younger than 18, based on testing by the Age Check Certification Scheme in the UK.”

“Users who want to appeal their age check can verify their age using alternative methods, including ID verification or parental controls that allow parents to update their child’s age.”

It has also implemented Roblox Sentinel, an open-source machine learning system that helps detect early signals of child endangerment. “Leveraging multiple signals, we are constantly evaluating user behavior to determine if someone is significantly older or younger than expected. In these situations we will soon begin asking users to repeat the age-check process.”

The system sounds similar to the one that YouTube has deployed – and comes with the same questions about privacy.

Nonetheless, Roblox is insistent that it’s aiming to set the bar for child online safety. It will continue to roll out features in the coming months, including age checks for creators looking to access Roblox Studio’s real-time collaboration tools.

On a recent episode of the Biometric Update Podcast, Jake Parker, Senior Director of Government Relations at the Security industry Association (SIA), discussed key privacy and security considerations for companies including Roblox adopting FAE.

Indonesian counterterrorism agency has age assurance plan for Roblox

For now, Roblox’ reputation precedes it. The platform has caught the attention of Indonesia’s national counterterrorism agency, BNPT, which says it will impose mandatory age assurance requirements for users creating Roblox accounts – a significant step up from any of the online safety measures Roblox has implemented so far.

The Antara news agency says Roblox will use face biometrics to verify users’ ages. That may not be precisely accurate, since Persona’s tech does not technically verify age, but rather estimates it without any reference to an identity document or date of birth.

Regardless, Indonesian authorities have Roblox on their radar, and will be looking to make good on their promise to crack down on child exploitation. The campaign may well extend to other platforms as it evolves. Antara quotes BNPT head Eddy Hartono, who says the responsibility for protecting kids must be shared.

“It is not only the government’s responsibility. Digital platforms are also being asked to implement protective measures to prevent children from easily creating accounts or accessing social media and online games without proper safeguards.”

Article Topics

age verification  |  biometric age estimation  |  biometrics  |  children  |  face biometrics  |  facial age estimation (FAE)  |  gaming  |  Indonesia  |  Persona  |  Roblox