Roblox implements new safety tools amid regulatory scrutiny

Roblox is expanding its safety architecture to include facial age estimation, artificial intelligence, and enhanced human moderation. The company recently rolled out facial age estimation globally to help determine user access to specific features and age-appropriate groups, supporting accounts like Roblox Kids and Roblox Select.

Despite these technical advancements, the Australian eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has criticized the platform for insufficient measures to prevent unwanted contact between adults and children. Tests conducted by the regulator suggest that unknown adults can still contact children without parental notification and that certain profile information remains publicly visible by default.

While Roblox maintains that it complies with regulations, the eSafety Commissioner is calling for external audits to ensure the platform meets the requirements of Australia’s Online Safety Act, which mandates that child profiles be set to private by default and requires platforms to prevent unsolicited contact.