SAN MATEO, CA — Roblox, one of the most popular gaming apps in the world, is preparing to roll out a new mandatory safety feature.
Beginning this month, all users will be required to undergo an AI-powered age-estimator facial scan in order to continue using the platform’s chat feature.
The change, in many ways, is the company’s answer to scrutiny it’s faced over child safety on the app. Forty-two percent of Roblox users are under 13.
The face scan is launching as attorneys general around the country are investigating Roblox, and there are at nearly 80 active lawsuits against the company, with some parents alleging their children encountered predators on the app.
On a Thursday in late December, I traveled to Roblox’s headquarters to do a demo of the new feature. I’d first contacted the company to discuss another story I was working on − about the pending lawsuits − and when I began asking questions about the forthcoming age estimator, they suggested I come see it for myself. Though I could have tried the face scan…