Roblox to require age verification for all users starting May

According to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Roblox must now run age checks on everyone via facial age estimation or a government ID starting May 1, with the requirement applying to both new and existing accounts and a new duty to monitor account behaviour for age misinformation. Adults and under-16s will not be able to talk to each other unless they’re on a “trusted friend” list, and users who do not undergo age verification cannot chat at all.

Communication involving any minor cannot be encrypted, enabling law enforcement to read it during investigations, while West Virginia’s settlement also requires minors to be alerted the first time they enter a private chat.

Roblox had already stopped chatting without age verification as of January, but starting in June it will restrict access to games for those who have not completed the process, with a three-tier system: Roblox Kids for ages 5–8 (no chats), Roblox Select for 9–15, and standard accounts for 16 and up. The settlements total more than $35 million across eight days, reflecting a broader wave of legal action pursuing enhanced child safety on the platform.