Roblox's Age Verification System in Shambles, Leaving Thousands of Young Players Vulnerable.
When it first rolled out just over a week ago, the new age verification system on Roblox was hailed as a major step forward in tackling the platform's notorious child predator problem. However, reports are emerging that the system is not only failing to live up to expectations but actually creating new vulnerabilities for young users.
In some cases, children have been misclassified as adults, while others have been mistakenly placed in the under-13 age bracket. This has led to a host of problems, including 23-year-olds being forced into chat groups with minors and 18-year-olds being locked out of these groups altogether.
But perhaps the most alarming trend is the way some young players are exploiting the system to pose as adults. Online videos have surfaced showing children using avatar images and other tricks to get themselves classified as adults, effectively bypassing the new age restrictions.
The company's attempts to address this issue have been met with skepticism from developers, many of whom have expressed frustration at the complexity of the verification process and the impact it has had on their games. With thousands of users taking to social media to vent their anger, it seems clear that Roblox has a long way to go before its age verification system can be considered anything other than a trainwreck.
In fact, the platform's Chief Safety Officer, Matt Kaufman, has acknowledged that the system is not yet perfect and that it will take time to iron out the kinks. However, with some developers describing games on the platform as feeling "lifeless" or like "a total ghost town," it remains to be seen how Roblox will strike the right balance between keeping predators at bay and preserving a vibrant community of young players.
As one 23-year-old user put it, "I don't want to be chatting with fucking children." But for many others, including some minors themselves, the impact of the new age restrictions has been just as devastating. With Roblox's survival potentially hanging in the balance, only time will tell if the company can successfully navigate this crisis and restore the platform to its former glory.
When it first rolled out just over a week ago, the new age verification system on Roblox was hailed as a major step forward in tackling the platform's notorious child predator problem. However, reports are emerging that the system is not only failing to live up to expectations but actually creating new vulnerabilities for young users.
In some cases, children have been misclassified as adults, while others have been mistakenly placed in the under-13 age bracket. This has led to a host of problems, including 23-year-olds being forced into chat groups with minors and 18-year-olds being locked out of these groups altogether.
But perhaps the most alarming trend is the way some young players are exploiting the system to pose as adults. Online videos have surfaced showing children using avatar images and other tricks to get themselves classified as adults, effectively bypassing the new age restrictions.
The company's attempts to address this issue have been met with skepticism from developers, many of whom have expressed frustration at the complexity of the verification process and the impact it has had on their games. With thousands of users taking to social media to vent their anger, it seems clear that Roblox has a long way to go before its age verification system can be considered anything other than a trainwreck.
In fact, the platform's Chief Safety Officer, Matt Kaufman, has acknowledged that the system is not yet perfect and that it will take time to iron out the kinks. However, with some developers describing games on the platform as feeling "lifeless" or like "a total ghost town," it remains to be seen how Roblox will strike the right balance between keeping predators at bay and preserving a vibrant community of young players.
As one 23-year-old user put it, "I don't want to be chatting with fucking children." But for many others, including some minors themselves, the impact of the new age restrictions has been just as devastating. With Roblox's survival potentially hanging in the balance, only time will tell if the company can successfully navigate this crisis and restore the platform to its former glory.
imagine a big ol' diagram with 3 boxes:
... no matter how hard u try, some pieces are gonna fall out 
. it's like, if u want ppl to stick around, make the game fun for everyone, not just a select few 
and yeah why make it harder for devs to run their games when they need those communities to survive? 
like come on roblx get it together 
. Remember when Myspace was all the rage back in 2005? Yeah, Roblox's age verification system is basically like that - all flash and no substance 
. I mean, what happened to the good old days of dial-up internet and having to wait for like 30 seconds for a GIF to load? 
At least then you knew what you were getting into 
. But seriously, this age verification system is a hot mess, and it's only going to make things worse if Roblox doesn't get its act together ASAP 
. I'm not sure what's more concerning - the fact that some kids are exploiting the system or the fact that 23-year-olds are being forced into chat groups with minors 
. It's like, come on guys, can't we just have a platform where everyone is treated with respect and dignity? 
The whole thing just feels so messed up - kids trying to trick the system and all that... I feel bad for those young devs who are getting hurt by this mess. It's like, they're just trying to make some games and have fun on the platform too, but nope, it's all about the predators and the age verification drama 
. Thousands of young players are getting messed up in the process, and some even figure out how to game the system 
. I'm not sure how Roblox plans to fix this mess, but something needs to happen ASAP 
! Like, I get that the company wants to keep predators out, but this new system is literally causing more problems than it's solving 
. And can you believe some kids are even trying to fake their way into becoming adults? 
Roblox needs to get its act together and fix this ASAP, like, yesterday 
!
... how did they even mess up an age verification system like this? It's like they expected kids to just magically know their own age or something 
... only instead of mallets, it's kids using avatar images and whatnot to scam their way into adult territory 
.
it's a huge mess! roblox needs to step up their game and figure out what's going on here, can't just leave it to chance. maybe they should start by listening more to devs and less to all the drama from users who are just salty about the changes. gotta find that balance so kids can play safely without feeling like they're being babysat 24/7 