As we recently announced, Roblox has committed to implementing age estimation for all communication on our platform by the end of the year. This will help ensure that minors get better protections when they communicate with others - and it's a vision for safety that we hope spreads. Happy to see CA AB 1043 signed into law today, which supports this goal. https://lnkd.in/gpcjKpc9
I will be the dissenting voice here for the sake of discussion. While the intent behind Roblox’s commitment to “age estimation for all communication” sounds commendable, age estimation ≠ age safety. Age estimation technologies are not precise as they often rely on probabilistic models, voice analysis, or engagement patterns that can misclassify users. This inaccuracy risks flagging a user into the wrong age group. In practice this may create a false sense of safety while eroding user trust as content "slips" through. Second, to estimate a user’s age across all communication Roblox would need to analyze metadata or biometric data even if this data isn’t stored, it still expands surveillance across the platform. For a company with such a young user base, this sets a worrying precedent in normalizing privacy compromise in the name of "protection". It also raises questions of compliance with data minimization principles in privacy laws like COPPA, GDPR-K, and the California Age-Appropriate Design Code. Lastly, Roblox’s strength lies in its user-generated content. Requiring intrusive verification layers or automated moderation could stifle creative vision, requiring creative concessions to fit under arbitrary age guidelines.
Heather Mckee
1mo
Great to see Roblox has finally recognised something needs to be put in place for child safety. However, age estimation technologies depend on uncertain methods—such as voice cues, behavioural patterns, or probabilistic modeling—which are prone to errors. These inaccuracies can lead to users being wrongly categorized by age, creating an illusion of safety rather than delivering real safeguards. As a result, harmful or inappropriate content may still reach vulnerable users, ultimately weakening trust in the system’s effectiveness.
Great news! Safety and privacy protections for minors should always be priority number one.
#proudemployee!! Thank you Roblox for making safety a # 1 priority
Beautiful vision. 👏🏼 thank you for protecting our children!
I would like to learn more about this as it progresses. I've heard many warnings about how dangerous it is for young children. The library has banned kids from playing it there. But my 5 year old is already asking to play it so I'm very concerned. I hope this will bring the much needed change to make it a safer environment for all.
How is the privacy being handled 🤔
This is a big win
Pop Culture Educator ⚡️ Learning Through Anime, Games & Film
1moA great step forward. Anything that helps keep young people safe while protecting their freedom to connect and create is worth celebrating. Really good to see this direction 👏