Roblox Starts Facial Age Verification for Chat Features

Published 5 hours ago·Updated 41 minutes ago

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Above: Roblox sign up page on a laptop. Image credit: Unsplash

The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

Roblox's mandatory facial verification is a groundbreaking safety innovation that directly addresses child protection concerns. The age-based chat system ensures kids only interact with appropriate age groups, effectively blocking predatory adults from accessing minors. This proactive method sets a new industry standard for protecting children online.

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Techno-skeptic narrative

Roblox's push for facial scans on children reeks of invasive overreach and turns it into a biometric surveillance platform. Even if images are "deleted," the face-estimation process relies on sensitive personal data. This invasive measure normalizes identity tracking in a space meant for play, raising long-term concerns about data privacy.

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Cynical narrative

Facial age checks sound noble, but Roblox's AI will falter on diverse skin tones, accents or clever workarounds, letting predators slip through while frustrating honest users. It's a flashy distraction from real fixes like robust moderation and education. Burdening kids with flawed tech won't heal the platform's deep seated safety issues.

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