Roblox has sparked debate by blocking younger players from its social hangouts and unveiling stricter child safety updates, raising fresh questions about how far the platform should go to protect kids online.
According to the developer forum, Roblox is updating the experience guideline policies to incorporate new child safety changes and ban kids from Social Hangouts. Here’s what changed:
Roblox Bans Kids Permanently from Social Hangouts
Roblox has begun issuing permanent bans to younger users who violate its updated social hangout rules, part of a larger push to control online interactions among minors. The company says the stricter enforcement targets repeat offenders who break chat or behavior guidelines in public experiences. These changes follow concerns over unmoderated player interactions and growing pressure from parents and regulators to make the platform safer for children.
To protect younger users, Roblox is making major changes to its platform, especially interactive experiences. Starting November 18, 2024, features like ‘social hangouts’ and ‘free-form user creation’ will be restricted to users 13 and older.
This means younger users won’t be able to participate in these activities. Roblox creators will still have full access to their own experiences and those they can edit.
Social hangouts refer to experiences designed for socializing, such as virtual clubs or chat rooms. Free-form user creation allows users to draw or write directly on virtual surfaces, sharing their creations with others without moderation. These features, while fun and creative, can sometimes pose risks to younger users.
By implementing these age restrictions, Roblox aims to create a safer online environment for its younger users. The platform is also making changes to ratings in other experiences as well.
Roblox Introduces Proper Ratings for Younger Players
Roblox has added clearer age ratings to help parents and players understand which games suit younger audiences. Each experience now shows an age category based on content type, themes, and user interactions. This update aims to give families better control over what children access while maintaining creative freedom for developers. The company says these new ratings will appear across the platform and guide automatic restrictions for players under specific age brackets.
From December 3, 2024, Roblox players under 13 will not be able to play, search, and discover the unrated experiences. To avoid this, creators must complete a questionnaire for each experience they want available for users under 13. This form must be filled out before December 3 or they will be permanently unavailable for pre-teens. With this change, both children, specifically the parents will have more understanding of the rating of a game.
To keep Roblox safe and fun for everyone, creators must make sure that all the details about their games, like the name, picture, and description, are suitable for players of all ages or at least for those who are 9 years and older.
The forum further states that the proper rating can prevent children from entering inappropriate experiences. Creators can fill up the questionnaire from their Creator Hub. Once in the hub, select Creations –> Select an Experience –> Audience –> Questionnaire.
Recent reports, including Bloomberg’s “Roblox’s Pedophile Problem” report, have raised concerns about child safety on Roblox. In response, Roblox has introduced new features to protect pre-teen users and give parents more control over their children’s accounts. However, with these changes, the company is trying to address the concerns among creators as well.
How will the age verification system work for chat access
Roblox’s age verification system for chat access uses facial age estimation technology to categorize users into age groups and restrict chats to peers. It became mandatory globally by early January 2026, with images deleted immediately after processing.
Verification Process
Users open the Roblox app and grant camera access to complete a quick facial scan or short video via their device’s camera. A third-party vendor, Persona, analyzes the scan to estimate age without identifying individuals, placing users into groups like under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, or 21+. Users 13 and older can opt for ID verification instead; appeals for inaccurate results use ID or parental consent.
Chat Grouping Rules
Verified users chat only within their age group or adjacent ones (e.g., 9-12 can chat with under 9 or 13-15), preventing minors under 16 from adult interactions unless via “Trusted Connections” for known contacts. Under-9 chat defaults off without parental consent; Roblox monitors behavior ongoingly to re-verify if needed.
Steps to complete Roblox facial age verification
Roblox’s facial age verification process enables chat access by estimating user age through a quick camera-based selfie scan. Users aged 13+ can complete it via the app or website to unlock features like chat and voice. Images are processed securely and deleted immediately.
Step-by-Step Guide
Open the Roblox app or site and log in. Tap the gear icon (Settings) in the top right, then select Account Info. Under Age Group, choose Continue with selfie to start facial age estimation, or Continue with ID as an alternative.
Position your device at eye level in a well-lit room without glasses or hats. Grant camera permission, then follow on-screen prompts: hold steady, turn head left/right/up/down, and smile if asked. The AI analyzes facial features in seconds to assign an age band (e.g., 13-15, 18+); results appear instantly.
Tips and Troubleshooting
Use natural light for best accuracy; avoid shadows. If it fails or estimates under 13 incorrectly, retry within 48 hours or appeal with ID (driver’s license/passport scan plus selfie). On desktop without a webcam, switch to mobile; verification persists across devices.
