![JV boys soccer goalie sophomore Bear Brummett does a goal kick. Normally, Brummett plays defense, but when starting goalie sophomore Kurt Schratweiser missed a match due to illness, Brummett was thrust into the role. “[Brummett] did a great job, especially considering he hadn’t played the position in so long,” Head Coach Casey McDonough said.](https://spschronicle.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/image2-1200x800.jpg)
On Jan. 7, 2026, a mandatory update was released for the popular gaming app Roblox, with an update including the implementation of AI technology to scan users’ faces to “verify” age. Once a player’s age is confirmed, they are put into an age bracket and identified based on their age demographics, ranging from nine and under to 21 or older.
Roblox claims to have released this privacy update to shield minors from possible predators on the app. The new regulation prohibits users who haven’t scanned their faces from using the chat feature. Overall, many players seem upset about the new requirement.
“I was very skeptical, because why does Roblox need my face to say that I can just play a couple of games?” freshman Tatiana Miller said. “It kind of reminded me of pedo bait, too — just a bunch of kids taking pictures of their faces.”
Roblox’s terms of use privacy page declares that their identity verification provider Persona will delete the data within a 30-day period. However, those same terms also state that Roblox or its provider may collect an image for “safety and assurance purposes.”
According to Backlinko, 56% of Roblox users are under the age of 16, representing over half of 380 million users worldwide.
Additionally, some Roblox users have already discovered a workaround to the new age verification update. Specifically, Roblox has an additional platform where you can connect physical purchases with codes to make in-game purchases. Through third-party apps, minors can easily purchase a badge stating that they’re over 21, and an adult can purchase a badge indicating that they’re only 16.
“I think it could be really dangerous because kids could be thinking, ‘Oh, I’m talking to another child my age,’ but it’s really just an adult acting as a kid,” Miller said.
As of March, Roblox has been served with civil lawsuits in several U.S. states, including Nebraska, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas and Florida. These cases generally claim that Roblox has failed to provide a safe environment for minors.
Whether the update will protect minors or create new concerns remains a subject of debate.
