On January 7th, Roblox dropped a new update for the new AI facial verification for chat. Roblox players have shown outrage over the new update. Some even call it the most controversial update in Roblox. -- KAsper stallworth, 7th grade
On January 7th, Roblox dropped a new update for the new AI facial verification for chat. Roblox players have shown outrage over the new update. Some even call it the most controversial update in Roblox.
Leading up to the announcement for AI facial recognition, Roblox had apparently received 80 lawsuits filed by the Texas State Attorneys General over what Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton described on Twitter as “putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety of Texas children." This led them to take action on the safety of their players.
The state of Texas filed the lawsuits due to the lack of safety towards children.
Roblox first talked about the age verification in September 2025, but the update was then delayed all the way until January 2026. The update makes chat unusable unless you scan your face or ID. On the homepage, there is a notification telling you to scan your face for chat. Not only will it make you unable to chat unless verified, it also locks the private chats you may have with your friends, in which either people cannot see the messages. Roblox claims these precautions help keep the players safer.
Roblox also claims that millions of people have already participated in the Roblox verification.
Leading up to the announcement for AI facial recognition, Roblox had apparently received 80 lawsuits filed by the Texas State Attorneys General over what Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton described on Twitter as “putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety of Texas children." This led them to take action on the safety of their players.
The state of Texas filed the lawsuits due to the lack of safety towards children.
Roblox first talked about the age verification in September 2025, but the update was then delayed all the way until January 2026. The update makes chat unusable unless you scan your face or ID. On the homepage, there is a notification telling you to scan your face for chat. Not only will it make you unable to chat unless verified, it also locks the private chats you may have with your friends, in which either people cannot see the messages. Roblox claims these precautions help keep the players safer.
Roblox also claims that millions of people have already participated in the Roblox verification.
Roblox posted a picture on the Roblox forums of the six age groups: under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, and 21 and over. Each of these age groups can chat with a group slightly over them, for example ages 9-12 can chat with people under 16.
Amara Deanes, an 8th grader in Literary Arts stated, “I think the age grouping is reasonable. It’s odd how 18+ year olds can still talk to minors. It sounds like a loophole that older users could exploit.”
Other Roblox users have also commented on this, on how it can be used as a way for predators to know the age of their victims and also be guaranteed to talk to minors.
Amara Deanes, an 8th grader in Literary Arts stated, “I think the age grouping is reasonable. It’s odd how 18+ year olds can still talk to minors. It sounds like a loophole that older users could exploit.”
Other Roblox users have also commented on this, on how it can be used as a way for predators to know the age of their victims and also be guaranteed to talk to minors.
The Roblox facial verification makes you stare at the camera then turn your head left then right, then they estimate your age based on how you look. However people have found ways to make the age verification scan you as a different age: some by drawing on beards, wearing makeup to make yourself look older, using 3D models, and even just taking videos of people moving their heads left and right from online.
Some examples can be shown here.
Still, many appreciate the intention of the face scan. “I feel like it's a good thing. It makes Roblox safer. Honestly I don't think this situation is Roblox's fault, it's the PLAYERS,” said Violet Regilio, also a 7th grade Lit Arts student. “We wouldn't even have to get our ages checked if it weren't for weirdos and little kids messing around. Roblox has finally done something good for a change to help the U.S. be safe. We shouldn't be complaining about something WE made happen.”
Many users on Roblox have ranted about the update. Even popular Roblox creators like Kreekcraft or Flamingo have talked about it.
Kreekcraft in his video stated, “If I wasn't a Youtuber and I’d play [I played] Roblox I’d stop playing Roblox,” in response to the news about the age verification.
While many appreciate the intention of the face scan, there’s also concern that it’s not totally effective. Paloma Bastos, a 7th grade Lit Arts student, said, “It can improve the safety of players because it can prevent young players from talking to older people, but I have seen many teens get younger age groups because of their faces which is bad because it can get younger kids also in older age groups which dodges the whole purpose of the age verifications.“
The age verification is run with AI and doesn't always work. It has put kids 9 and under in the 16 to 17 age group, or mis-judged people to be younger than they are.
“They put me in the 8-9 age group and I'm 11,” said Parker Brewer, a 6th grader
Sofia Gonzalez, another 6th grader, said, “I was put in the under 9 even though I'm 11. Basically 12 because my birthdate’s soon.”
Alice Stewart, a 7th grader said “I was put in the 9-12 age group, which is accurate to my age.”
The age verification system was partnered with Persona, which has had controversies and has received lawsuits for leaking people’s data while promising they would delete the pictures after the verification. Apparently Persona actually keeps the data permanently.
“I think Roblox’s age verification is mostly safe because it uses trusted third-party services to check IDs and says it doesn’t permanently store sensitive documents,” said Brewer. “However, no online system is completely risk-free, so there is always some concern about data breaches or misuse. I am slightly worried about other data loss factors, such as hacking, accidental leaks, or how third-party companies handle stored information. Overall, while Roblox seems to take security seriously, users should still be cautious about sharing personal data online.”
Many users state that roleplay games will be played less due to the lack of chatting. Some roleplay games like Brookhaven have signs and an ability to change your roleplay name within the game.
As a protest, people on Roblox have been wearing shirts saying "I can't chat” or “unverified,” with some dressing up as “Guests” which are Roblox players who don’t have accounts, and aren’t allowed to access chat due to not having one. People have been using Brookhaven’s features to talk to people and protest by wearing the outfit of the Roblox guest and holding up signs disagreeing about the update.
Roblox, for some odd reason, does not send players in the same age groups to the same server which is the amount of people in the same game at the same time. Roblox stated they would make an update in February, putting people on the same server with the same age.
Some Roblox content creators make videos using voice chat and just chat in general. This update will probably make those content creators make different content.
Violet Hirsch, a 6th grader from Literary Arts said that, “While this update may improve the safety of players, it can make the game much less fun to play. I know from experience that Roblox is always much more fun if you can chat with someone you know while playing a game.”
Roblox will be updating in February and March, to make trusted connections able to chat between age groups and fix bugs about the age verification.
Some examples can be shown here.
Still, many appreciate the intention of the face scan. “I feel like it's a good thing. It makes Roblox safer. Honestly I don't think this situation is Roblox's fault, it's the PLAYERS,” said Violet Regilio, also a 7th grade Lit Arts student. “We wouldn't even have to get our ages checked if it weren't for weirdos and little kids messing around. Roblox has finally done something good for a change to help the U.S. be safe. We shouldn't be complaining about something WE made happen.”
Many users on Roblox have ranted about the update. Even popular Roblox creators like Kreekcraft or Flamingo have talked about it.
Kreekcraft in his video stated, “If I wasn't a Youtuber and I’d play [I played] Roblox I’d stop playing Roblox,” in response to the news about the age verification.
While many appreciate the intention of the face scan, there’s also concern that it’s not totally effective. Paloma Bastos, a 7th grade Lit Arts student, said, “It can improve the safety of players because it can prevent young players from talking to older people, but I have seen many teens get younger age groups because of their faces which is bad because it can get younger kids also in older age groups which dodges the whole purpose of the age verifications.“
The age verification is run with AI and doesn't always work. It has put kids 9 and under in the 16 to 17 age group, or mis-judged people to be younger than they are.
“They put me in the 8-9 age group and I'm 11,” said Parker Brewer, a 6th grader
Sofia Gonzalez, another 6th grader, said, “I was put in the under 9 even though I'm 11. Basically 12 because my birthdate’s soon.”
Alice Stewart, a 7th grader said “I was put in the 9-12 age group, which is accurate to my age.”
The age verification system was partnered with Persona, which has had controversies and has received lawsuits for leaking people’s data while promising they would delete the pictures after the verification. Apparently Persona actually keeps the data permanently.
“I think Roblox’s age verification is mostly safe because it uses trusted third-party services to check IDs and says it doesn’t permanently store sensitive documents,” said Brewer. “However, no online system is completely risk-free, so there is always some concern about data breaches or misuse. I am slightly worried about other data loss factors, such as hacking, accidental leaks, or how third-party companies handle stored information. Overall, while Roblox seems to take security seriously, users should still be cautious about sharing personal data online.”
Many users state that roleplay games will be played less due to the lack of chatting. Some roleplay games like Brookhaven have signs and an ability to change your roleplay name within the game.
As a protest, people on Roblox have been wearing shirts saying "I can't chat” or “unverified,” with some dressing up as “Guests” which are Roblox players who don’t have accounts, and aren’t allowed to access chat due to not having one. People have been using Brookhaven’s features to talk to people and protest by wearing the outfit of the Roblox guest and holding up signs disagreeing about the update.
Roblox, for some odd reason, does not send players in the same age groups to the same server which is the amount of people in the same game at the same time. Roblox stated they would make an update in February, putting people on the same server with the same age.
Some Roblox content creators make videos using voice chat and just chat in general. This update will probably make those content creators make different content.
Violet Hirsch, a 6th grader from Literary Arts said that, “While this update may improve the safety of players, it can make the game much less fun to play. I know from experience that Roblox is always much more fun if you can chat with someone you know while playing a game.”
Roblox will be updating in February and March, to make trusted connections able to chat between age groups and fix bugs about the age verification.