Here’s how Roblox’s age checks work

About a month after rolling out mandatory facial verification for access to chat features, Roblox says that 45% of its daily active users had completed age checks as of January 31.

Roblox introduced an age-verification requirement following a surge of lawsuits over child safety concerns, including legal action by the attorneys general of Texas, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Those lawsuits stemmed from reports alleging that Roblox exposed younger users to serious risks, such as online grooming and sexually explicit material.

To complete the age-check process, users must open the Roblox app, grant access to their device’s camera, and follow a series of on-screen steps for facial verification. Once the process is complete, Roblox states that any captured images or videos are deleted. The verification itself is handled by a third-party provider, Persona, which also deletes all pictures and videos after verification is complete, according to Roblox.

After users complete an age check, they gain access to age-based chat features. These restrict communication to users within similar age ranges. Roblox has divided users into six age groups: under 9, ages 9 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18 to 20, and 21 and older. Users can chat with others in their age group, as well as with those in the groups immediately above and below them. For instance, users aged 9 to 12 can communicate with others in their group, as well as users under 9 and those aged 13 to 15.

If the system incorrectly estimates a user’s age, Roblox allows them to appeal the decision. Users can verify their age through alternative methods, such as uploading identification or using parental control tools that will enable parents to update their child’s age.

In its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings report released this week, Roblox said the age-verified data indicate a younger user base than previously reported. The company said this result was expected. Among the 45% of users who have completed age checks, 35% are under 13, 38% are between 13 and 17, and 27% are 18 or older.

As Roblox rolled out its new verification system, concerns were raised about potential loopholes. For example, Wired reported that listings appeared on eBay offering age-verified Roblox accounts for children as young as nine. While eBay has since removed those listings, concerns remain that bad actors could still exploit the system by posing as minors.

Roblox’s senior director of product policy, Eliza Jacobs, told TechCrunch on Friday that the company runs continuous background age-check systems to address these risks and prevent misuse.

Jacobs explained that Roblox looks for signals indicating that an account’s verified age does not align with its use. “Whether that’s the kinds of games you’re playing, or who you’re talking to,” she said. The platform also uses keystroke analysis, noting that adults type differently from children. “So [we have] lots of systems running in the background to ensure that the age is accurate to the person actually using the account. And if we have any reason to believe that it’s not accurate, we will introduce additional checks to make sure that we have it right.”

She added that emoji usage patterns also serve as an indicator. According to Jacobs, older users often place emojis at the end of sentences like punctuation, while younger users tend to insert emojis mid-sentence.

Beyond safety improvements, Roblox CEO and co-founder David Baszucki said on the company’s earnings call that data from age verification is also being used to drive revenue growth.

“We have been able to find a bigger growth opportunity in the 18-plus demographic than previously assumed,” Baszucki said. “We estimate our 18 and over cohort is growing at over 50%, and this cohort monetizes 40% higher than younger cohorts.”

He added that Roblox is optimizing its platform to support higher-revenue genres that appeal to older users, including shooters, role-playing games, sports titles, and racing games.

Roblox said it plans to continue strengthening its safety systems as risks evolve and user needs change.