Roblox is preparing to implement voice chat on its platform. However, only users over the age of 13 will be able to use the new feature. To do this, the company has implemented a special age verification system based on documents and photographs.The verification system became available in Roblox on September 21.
It will work in 180 countries — both on PC and mobile versions of the project.
According to the company, now almost 50% of Roblox users are over 13 years old. All of them will be able to access the Spatial Voice function. Thanks to the spatial sound system, users will communicate with each other and clearly hear only those conversations that occur in the immediate vicinity of their game characters.
Age verification in Roblox takes place in two stages. First, the user uploads a scanned document (passport, driver’s license or ID card). Then you need to provide your photo. At the same time, the photo verification has several criteria:
- it should be a “live” picture, and not just a static image — it is necessary to understand from the selfie that the person made it personally;the face must be similar to the photo from the provided document in order to match the identity.
- Separately, Roblox notes that it does not store data about documents and photos.
After verification, the system creates a unique anonymous identifier that is used for all subsequent checks.
Now Spatial Voice is only available as part of the beta for developers, and regular players will be able to use voice chat this fall. In the future, Roblox also plans to use the age verification system to introduce other functions. According to the company, identity verification is the most important component for creating a safe and mutually polite environment within the metaverse.
The age verification system will not only provide access to new features, but will also be useful to developers and various companies. As Roblox notes, it will become easier for them to choose partners. They will now do this only among verified users.