Roblox's new age verification is reportedly fooled by shockingly simple tactics

Roblox kicked off 2026 by attempting to deal with its most pressing issue: Predators taking advantage of kids playing and socializing on the video game platform. Last week, the company rolled out AI-powered age checks provided by third-party processor Persona for all of its users in order to place them in age-appropriate chats. The age verification process is mandatory if users want to chat on the platform. Unfortunately, according to a new report from , there have been some real issues with the age verification system, and the result has led to backlash among users, parents, and Roblox developers alike. Wired However, in a statement to Mashable, Roblox said it was pleased with the implementation of the new AI age verification system so far. "To suggest that our age check technology isn't working is a fundamental misunderstanding of what it takes to shift safety at scale," said Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman in a statement to Mashable. "With a global community of over 150 million daily active users, we are pleased with where we are in the roll out process...Expecting the system to be flawless overnight is ignoring the scale of this undertaking." What's going on? As mentioned, in order to utilize the chat features on Roblox, users are now required to verify their age. To do so, Roblox users need to either upload a selfie for facial age estimation or provide a government-issued ID. Based on a user's age, Roblox then places the account in a specific age group category in order to help ensure that adults and children can't interact on the platform. However, just a week into the rollout of the age verification system, Wired has found that the AI has been making significant mistakes to the detriment of the platform. The report details how users over the age of 18 are being mistakenly labeled as kids and placed in the wrong age group category. The reverse has occurred as well, with users under 18 being placed in adult age groups. "ROBLOX AGE FACE SCAN VERIFICATION SAID MY 10 YEAR OLD LITTLE BROTHER WAS 16-17????" posted one user on X. "I'm 23 (nearly 24) and it's forced me as a 16-17 year old," said another user on X. "I don't want to be chatting with fucking children." Users under 18 have also posted videos of how they've tricked Roblox's age verification system. One user posted a video of a 3D animated avatar they uploaded, which Roblox's system identified as over 18. Another user, a young boy, of themselves fooling the Roblox' age verification system by drawing a mustache and beard on his face with a marker. The system indicated that it thought he was over the age of 21. posted a video And in a dark twist, Wired found that there was a black market growing on eBay where sellers were auctioning off Roblox accounts that were already age-verified, providing potential predators with yet another workaround to the system. Roblox game developers have also complained that...

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