Roblox launches ID-based age verification service

As the Roblox community continues to grow, Roblox Corporation has made the decision to implement an identity verification service to confirm the ages of users. Currently operating on an optional basis, the developer says its new service will not only signal a level of trust among users, but will also allow the platform to provide better methods for age-appropriate communication among creators.

As announced in an article on the Roblox blog, the developer says age verification on the platform is important as it launches its new communication tool, Spatial Voice. The feature, which is currently being tested in a limited beta for developers and will move to early access soon, will allow users to engage in voice chat within spatial voice experiences on Roblox, and aims to mirror the conversation. from real life, taking into account proximity, tone of voice and more.

Even though the company offers its age verification service on an optional basis, only those who successfully complete the process will be eligible for spatial voice chat when it is available for Public Beta. It’s unclear if the age verification service will be mandatory in the future, although given that more than 50% of Roblox users are under the age of 13, it seems unlikely.

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For Roblox, this mostly comes down to security. “As our community continues to expand, both globally and by age (nearly 50% of our platform users are over 13 years old in Q2 2021), we want to make sure everyone can express themselves safely. and respectful. “explains Chris Ashton Chen, Senior Product Manager. “Having confidence in a user’s age and identity is a fundamental basis for the safety and civility of the metaverse. We are developing new and innovative ways of doing this, always respecting the privacy of users.”

So how does it work? The Roblox ID verification process comes in two stages. Using image processing technology, Roblox will first ask users to undergo an identification document verification through its app. The documents themselves can take various forms and the platform accepts a user’s passport, driver’s license or identification card as the appropriate means for verification.

To complete the verification process, participants will need to take a selfie using the system. Roblox says that this stage of the service checks for “vividness” (if the image you are viewing is of a living, breathing human) and “likeness” (whether or not you are the same person shown in the uploaded documents). .

Roblox Corporation says its verification process will roll out over the course of the next few weeks. For those concerned about their data and privacy, the developer has also assured users that the platform will not store raw user identification documents or selfie data. Instead, when a government-issued identification document is scanned, an anonymous value is generated, allowing Roblox to verify identity without risking exposure of the user’s real identity.

The Roblox identity verification process may seem strict, but it is similar to the one used by many gambling sites and financial apps around the world. However, since the platform is home to many young players, it is a move that will hopefully help increase security across the platform.

In a similar vein, IGN previously reported that Roblox had seen a number of mass shooting re-enactments that cropped up on its platform. While the developer hasn’t stated that similar incidents are a reason for introducing an age verification service and ID checks, adding such a system would likely help improve user accountability across the community.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow it on Twitter.