Roblox gaming platform launches age verification for chat

Gaming giant Roblox Corp. announced that starting next month, it will introduce mandatory facial recognition or ID verification for players who wish to access chat features, UNN reports with reference to AFP.

Details

The project aims to prevent children under nine from chatting without parental consent and to limit communication between adults and minors online by dividing users into six age groups: from under nine to over 21.

The requirement for chat participation will take effect in the first week of December in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, and will expand worldwide in early January, the company said.

"Roblox is the first online gaming and communication platform to require age verification for chat access, which we believe will become a new industry standard," the California-based company said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The new system will require users to photograph their face or use an ID to confirm their age.

Roblox, a company hugely popular with young players, said that all players can now undergo age verification on a voluntary basis before it becomes mandatory.

Facial age verification will be conducted by Persona, an identity verification company, within the Roblox app. Images and videos will be deleted "immediately" after processing.

"Age verification is completely optional; however, features like chat will not be available without verification," said Roblox, whose platform allows players to create their own game worlds.

Addition

Roblox's announcement comes weeks before an Australian ban on individuals under 16 registering on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok takes effect on December 10.

Social media platforms that do not take reasonable steps to detect and deactivate accounts of individuals under 16 can be fined up to AUD 49.5 million (USD 32 million).

Roblox is among several platforms, including Discord, WhatsApp, and Lego Play, that have been deemed exempt from the Australian social media law.

However, Australian authorities reserve the right to compel excluded platforms to comply with this law if necessary.

On paper, this ban is one of the strictest in the world.

However, some experts are concerned that the law will be merely symbolic due to the difficulties in implementing and controlling online age verification.

Tech companies have criticized the Australian ban, calling it "vague," "problematic," and "hasty."

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to introduce a similar bill restricting children's use of social media.

And the Dutch government this year recommended that parents prohibit children under 15 from using social media apps such as TikTok and Snapchat.

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