Roblox raises Restricted content age to 18 and expands verification

Roblox announced Wednesday a package of policy and technology changes aimed at tightening protections for children on its platform, including raising the minimum age to view "Restricted" experiences to 18, expanding facial age-estimation technology to all users by the end of the year, and replacing its own content labels with ratings from international authorities. The moves come as the company faces lawsuits and intense public scrutiny over child safety and moderation practices.

The company said that, effective August 29, Restricted-rated experiences will no longer appear in search results or recommendations for users under 18, and that it plans to fully block access for underage accounts by the end of 2025. Creators who are 17 and who previously published Restricted content may continue to access and manage their existing experiences, but will not be able to publish additional Restricted-rated content until they turn 18. Roblox also plans to disable all unrated game experiences beginning September 30 to ensure clearer age alignment across the platform.

Roblox described its expanded age-verification program as a multi-layered system combining facial age-estimation from user...