Roblox Corp. on Thursday unveiled a suite of safety measures aimed at its core teenage audience, headlined by an AI-powered age-estimation tool that scans a short video selfie to judge whether a user is at least 13. The assessment, provided by identity-verification specialist Persona, unlocks a new “Trusted Connections” tier that lets verified teens exchange unfiltered text, voice and party chats with people they know. The platform is simultaneously renaming its “Friends” list as “Connections.” If the system cannot confirm age with high confidence, users can submit a government ID or, in the future, obtain parental consent. Teens aged 13–17 may add peers directly, but any user over 18 must be linked through an in-person QR code scan or a contact-importer tool. Roblox says the biometric data is erased after 30 days, and conversations will still be monitored for signs of grooming, sexual content or other critical harms. The update also introduces new privacy and well-being controls. Teens can hide their online status, set ‘Do Not Disturb’ periods and review screen-time analytics, while parents—subject to the teenager’s approval—gain a dashboard showing trusted contacts, playtime and spending alerts. Safety has become a flashpoint for Roblox, which counts roughly 98 million daily users across 180 countries; more than 60 percent are older than 13. The company told U.S. authorities it flagged 13,316 cases of child exploitation in 2023, and police arrested 24 suspected predators last year after activity on the platform. Florida’s attorney general subpoenaed Roblox in April over similar concerns, and several U.S. states have enacted or proposed mandatory age-verification laws. Roblox argues its layered approach sets a new industry standard, yet child-safety advocates note that AI age-estimation can misclassify users and still relies on minors and parents to manage many of the risks. The company said it will keep refining the technology and expand parental oversight as regulators press for stricter online protections.