Online game platform Roblox is implementing new, more rigorous safety strategies following continued criticism from young players’ parents and government officials.

On Wednesday, Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman announced the platform would utilize “new technology for age estimation” — a combination of “facial age estimation technology, ID age verification, and verified parental consent.” According to Kaufman, “this process will provide a more accurate measure of a user’s age than simply relying on what someone types in when they create an account.” All site users who use the site’s communication capabilities will be subject to verification “by the end of this year,” the news release states.

Kaufman says the platform will also “launch new systems designed to limit communication between adults and minors unless they know each other in the real world.” He continues: “These added layers of protection will help provide users with access to developmentally appropriate features and content.”

Roblox shared its “ambitious plan” on the social media site X (formerly Twitter). “Today we’re announcing our plan to roll out platform-wide age estimation, designed to set a new standard for online safety.” The post then direct readers to explore the site’s “100+ safety initiatives [it] shipped this year.”

One reply from user @RealSchlep — a prominent YouTuber known for his viral vigilante sting operations targeting Roblox predators — includes a screenshot of an on-platform minigame called “High-Five or Pass” that resembles a more sanitized version of the explicit hypothetical game, “Smash or Pass.” (Think “FMK,” but for Zoomers)

“Why does Roblox allow smash or pass games for 5 and up? Some of these creators are verified on the platform,” he posits. Schlep’s reply has garnered nearly 100,000 impressions at the time of writing.

On Aug. 13, 2025, Roblox announced it had permanently banned Schlep and other “vigilantes” from the platform, citing “an unsafe environment for users.” On Aug. 28, the YouTuber shared that he’d formally collaborated with Dateline‘s “To Catch a Predator” host, Chris Hansen.

 

Just filmed for a documentary with Chris Hansen. pic.twitter.com/l6hActgaUj

— Schlep (@RealSchlep) Aug. 28, 2025

Roblox, which primarily hosts user-made content, touts itself as a “virtual universe that lets you create, share experiences with friends, and be anything you can imagine.” In its Q2 2025 report, Roblox revealed it welcomes around 111 million monthly users with nearly 28 billion “hours engaged” — a 58% increase from last year.

While the number of engaged players is striking in its own right, Statista data shows that, in Q2 2025, nearly 40 million daily active users on the platform (39.7 million) are under the age of 13, a sizable jump from the previous year’s estimated 32.4 million juvenile users.

The site’s CEO and cofounder, Dave Baszucki, went viral earlier this year for telling parents to simply keep their kids off the site if they’re so worried. “My first message would be, if you’re not comfortable, don’t let your kids be on Roblox,” he told the BBC.

 

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