Roblox Kills Anonymous Chat in Global Safety Overhaul
Roblox now mandates global age verification for all chat features. The move impacts 89M users and aims to silence critics after years of safety scandals.
Roblox just erected a digital border wall around its 88.9 million daily users, ending the era of anonymous chatting forever. In a move that Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman calls a "new industry standard," the $26 billion gaming giant now requires mandatory facial age estimation or government ID to access text and voice chat features globally.
This isn't just a safety patch; it is a fundamental re-engineering of the platform’s social architecture. After years of accusations regarding child safety, ranging from YouTuber investigations to a blistering short-seller report calling it a "pedophile hellscape", Roblox is finally trading friction for legitimacy.
The End of the "Wild West"
The new policy, effective immediately, locks all chat features behind a mandatory age verification gate. Users must now scan their faces using the app’s AI-powered estimation tool or upload a government ID.
For a platform where 40% of the user base is under 13, this introduces a massive barrier to entry. But for Wall Street, it’s a necessary stabilization tactic. Following the October 2024 Hindenburg Research report that sent the stock tumbling, Roblox has been under immense pressure to prove it isn't profiting from negligence.
Pressure Cooker
The decision follows years of mounting backlash. High-profile critics, including banned YouTuber Ruben Sim and more recently Rosanna Pansino, have publicly torched the company’s moderation failures. The Hindenburg report was the tipping point, alleging that the platform’s "pedophile problem" was systemic.
Roblox’s leadership is now pivoting hard.
"Our commitment to safety is rooted in delivering the highest level of protection for our users," said Matt Kaufman, Chief Safety Officer at Roblox. "By building proactive, age-based barriers, we can empower users to create and connect in ways that are both safe and appropriate."
The Business of Friction
This move is expensive. Not just in terms of the technology, which involves processing millions of biometric scans, but in user retention. Every second of friction introduced during login costs engagement. However, the alternative was worse: regulatory strangulation.
With revenue hitting $3.6 billion in 2024 and bookings up 22%, Roblox is betting that its ecosystem is sticky enough to survive the purge. The company has already blocked access to unrated experiences for users under 13, a move that wiped out traffic for thousands of unverified developers overnight.
Roblox is attempting to grow up. By forcing its 88.9 million daily users to identify themselves, they are signaling to advertisers and regulators that the "Wild West" days are over. The question remains: Will the kids stay if they can't chat anonymously, or will they migrate to the next unmoderated playground?
