Roblox age checks for chat
Roblox is requiring a facial age estimate or ID check before players can use chat, then limiting who they can talk to by age group, a safety change that is worth understanding but not a threat in itself.
Should I worry?
This change comes after lawsuits and criticism over contact between adults and children on the platform, so it is a step in the right direction, but it is not a guarantee. Age estimates can be wrong, and a check cannot tell you who a person really is or what they intend. The usual warning signs still apply: an older-seeming contact who builds trust fast, asks for secrecy, pushes to move the conversation to another private app, or pressures your child for photos or personal details. Keep your child's account settings and parental controls up to date, and make sure they know they can tell you about an uncomfortable chat without losing their access.
How to join in
Roblox is hugely popular with kids and teens, and chat is how many of them play with friends. Soon, every player will be asked to do a quick face scan with the device camera, or confirm their age with an ID, to keep chat. Players are then sorted into age groups and mainly chat with people in their own or nearby groups. Roblox says images are deleted once the check is done, and without the check chat is switched off. Expect your kid to mention it, maybe with some grumbling or a question about the camera. It is a good moment to sit beside them, go through the steps together and ask who they usually chat with.
Try saying
“I heard Roblox is going to ask players to do a quick age check before they can chat. What do you think about that? And if anyone in a game ever makes you uncomfortable, or asks you to talk somewhere else, I'd really like you to tell me. You won't be in trouble.”
If you’re worried
If an adult or anyone else is pressuring your child for photos or sexual content, report it to Cybertip.ca, and use NeedHelpNow.ca if an intimate image has been shared. Call 911 if your child is in immediate danger. Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868, or text 686868) is there for your child at any time, and 988 is available if you fear self-harm.
Sources
From Mistlift, mistlift.app. Plain talk about what kids are into online.