About a month after Roblox introduced mandatory facial verification to unlock chat access, the company says nearly half of its community has already gone through the new age-check process. As of January 31, Roblox reports that 45% of its daily active users have completed age verification, a major early signal that the platform’s tighter approach to user age and communication is taking hold.
The move arrives amid intense scrutiny over child safety. Roblox has faced multiple lawsuits from state attorneys general, including in Texas, Kentucky, and Louisiana, following reports alleging that young users were exposed to serious risks such as grooming and explicit content. Against that backdrop, Roblox’s age checks are designed to better align who users can talk to with the age they actually are—rather than the age they claim when signing up.
How Roblox age verification works, and what happens to the data
To complete the process, users open the Roblox app, grant camera access, and follow on-screen prompts to complete facial verification. Roblox says that once the check is complete, it deletes any images or video captured during verification. The process is handled by a third-party vendor, Persona, and Roblox says that Persona also deletes the images and videos after processing.
The goal is straightforward: once a user’s age is verified, their chat access becomes age-based, limiting who they can communicate with and reducing the chances of unsafe interactions across large age gaps.
Age-based chat tiers: who can talk to whom
After verification, users are placed into one of six age groups:
Under 9
9 to 12
13 to 15
16 to 17
18 to 20
21 plus
Roblox says users can chat with people in their own age band as well as the groups directly above and below. For example, someone aged 9 to 12 can communicate with users under 9, within 9 to 12, and with 13 to 15 users—but not with significantly older groups.
What if Roblox gets your age wrong?
Roblox acknowledges that facial estimation can be inaccurate. If the system incorrectly estimates a user’s age, the user can appeal and verify through other options, including government ID verification. Roblox also allows parents to update their child’s age through parental controls, providing a fallback route for families when automated checks don’t reflect reality.
Age checks reveal Roblox is younger than self-reported data suggested
In its Q4 2025 earnings release, Roblox said the verified numbers show a younger user base than the ages people reported themselves—an outcome the company expected.
Among the 45% of users who completed age checks:
35% are under 13
38% are 13 to 17
27% are over 18
This matters because accurate age data impacts everything from safety features and moderation strategy to what kinds of content and social tools are appropriate for different parts of the community.
Concerns about loopholes and account misuse
Even with verification in place, critics have pointed to potential loopholes. Reports surfaced of online listings offering age-verified Roblox accounts, raising fears that bad actors could obtain accounts that appear to belong to children or teens. While such listings have been removed from some marketplaces, the broader concern remains: any identity or age system is only as strong as its ability to detect misuse after an account is created.
To address this, Roblox says it runs continuous age-check systems in the background to detect inconsistencies between an account’s verified age and how the account behaves. Signals can include what games a user plays, who they talk to, and behavioral analysis such as typing patterns—on the idea that adults and kids often type differently. Roblox also looks at usage patterns that may hint at age differences, including how people place emojis in sentences.
Safety and business: why Roblox cares about verified age data
Roblox positions age checks as a safety upgrade, but the company also made it clear that verified age data has business value. During the earnings call, CEO and co-founder David Baszucki said Roblox is seeing greater-than-expected momentum in the 18-plus audience. He noted that the 18-and-over cohort is growing at an estimated rate of over 50% and monetizes about 40% higher than younger users.
Roblox says it’s optimizing the platform to support genres that tend to attract older players and drive higher revenue, including shooters, RPGs, sports, and racing. That strategy suggests Roblox wants to expand beyond its traditional reputation as a kids-first platform, while still strengthening protections for younger users.
Looking ahead, Roblox says it will continue enhancing safety measures as risks evolve and as the platform learns more from verified age data.
