Roblox Begins Age-Based Accounts With Biometric Checks as User Numbers Fall

Roblox began placing users into age-based accounts in June 2026 after testing its biometric age-estimation system at company headquarters in San Mateo, California. ” Users ages 9-15 enter Roblox Select accounts that allow limited chat and games up to “moderate” maturity. Users 16 and older receive full access to games and chat.

Roblox gave NBC News an exclusive demonstration of the tool in late May 2026. Eleven-year-old Cole Moretti, wearing a fake mustache, was tested and classified as age 9-12. “Sorry, you can tell your friends at school it doesn’t work,” Eliza Jacobs, Roblox’s vice president of safety product policy, told him.

4 years of a child’s actual age. Users whose estimated age is lower than their actual age can submit a government ID to update their account. Parents can also manually change the age on linked accounts.

Roblox requires all users to provide a government ID or undergo biometric checks to access chat. Its third-party vendor Persona deletes biometric data immediately after estimation. The platform also runs continuous age estimation that monitors time of day played, game types and chat language to detect discrepancies.

Roblox had 152 million daily active users in the third quarter of 2025 and 132 million in the first quarter of 2026. Its stock fell 18 percent in a single day after the Q1 2026 figure was released. The company introduced new publishing requirements for developers in May 2026, mandating government ID verification, two-factor authentication and a financial deposit.

The deposit is either a paid subscription or a one-time fee of 1,000 Robux per game made available to users under 16. Games for Kids and Select accounts undergo moderator review in which staff observe live gameplay by players age 16 and older. Roblox maintains a Community Safety Council of creators who meet monthly to advise on safety measures.