On November 18, 2025, the online gaming giant, Roblox, announced the rollout of AI-enabled age verification technology supposedly intended to prevent interactions between adults and children on the platform. This announcement is far too little–and far too late–for the thousands of children who have already been exploited or assaulted because of the powerful tool Roblox provides to adult predators.
Anapol Weiss shareholder, Alexandra Walsh, has consistently emphasized that incremental and reactionary safety measures can’t fix a company that has knowingly allowed adult predators to access and groom children for years. Age verification does not meaningfully change the environment of the platform, which, in addition to hosting children, also hosts games like “Escape from Epstein Island” or simulated sex “condo games.”
Age Verification Alone Doesn’t Address Core Problems
Predators do not limit themselves to text chat. Abuse can happen through game interactions, voice features, and virtual economies that encourage grooming. User-generated content cannot be moderated at scale, especially when Roblox’s human moderators are abysmally understaffed. Without significant structural changes, including robust parental controls that actually work and external accountability, children remain at risk.
New Safety Measures Are Reactive, Not Proactive
This latest announcement is part of a familiar pattern: Roblox responds to litigation and public outcry by introducing safety measures only after harm has already happened. As Walsh has stated in lawsuit after lawsuit, Roblox prioritizes profits over safety and has consistently put user engagement and growth ahead of meaningful protection for years.
A Truly Comprehensive Safety Framework is Missing
Until Roblox confronts design and feature choices that have put children at risk, no form of age verification will offer meaningful protection. A truly comprehensive safety framework would include at a minimum:
- High-visibility reporting tools and parental dashboards
- Independent audits of abuse reports, enforcement outcomes, and systemic failures
- Clear, public metrics on grooming, exploitation, and harmful-content removal
Anapol Weiss will continue to push for robust protections and real reform so that children can participate in online communities without being exposed to adult predators.
