Roblox’s age verification system would be a disaster

by Roblox age verification system was designed as a response to allegations that there is a child predator problem. Less than a week, how are you? GOOD, Wired reported Tuesday, that in some cases it classifies children as adults and adults as children. So not so great!

Last week, Roblox made age verification mandatory for anyone using the platform’s chat function. This process involves either submitting a facial age estimate via a selfie, or (optionally for anyone 13 or older) uploading a government ID check. After verification, you can only chat with groups of players your age.

The move came after reports grew that predators were using the platform to groom young children. This gave rise to legal action by Louisiana, Texas and Kentucky. Meanwhile, Florida’s attorney general has issued criminal summons.

So it might not be an exaggeration to say that Roblox’s survival could depend on how it handles this problem. It’s not exactly a hot start. According to reports, a 23-year-old was misidentified as a 16 or 17-year-old. (“I don’t want to argue with fucking kids,” they said.) Another report claimed an 18-year-old had been placed in the 13-15 age bracket.

But the problem also occurs in reverse. Videos online show children impersonating the system into believing they are adults by using avatar images. A clever child drew wrinkles and hairs on his face and was immediately considered 21 and older. Another showed a photo of Kurt Cobain and got an adult rating.

Additionally, Roblox job Last week, some parents were conducting age checks on behalf of their children, resulting in their children being placed in the 21 and over category. The company said it is “working on solutions to resolve” this particular issue and will share more soon.

Developers offering games on Roblox are unhappy. The platform’s dev forum includes thousands of negative comments about the updates, with many wanting the entire update rolled back. One shared a chart showing that the percentage using the chat feature dropped from around 90 percent to 36.5 percent.

Where does this leave Roblox? Well, with some developers describing games on the platform as “lifeless” or like “a total ghost town,” the company has its hands full. He will need to balance his priorities of keeping predators out without harming others. THE full report of Wired worth reading.