Roblox's AI Age Verification System Backfires as Children's Accounts Sell for $4 on eBay

Jan 14, 2026
WIRED
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Summary

Roblox's new AI age verification system catastrophically backfires as it misidentifies children as adults and vice versa, leading to verified accounts of 9-year-olds selling for $4 on eBay while users easily fool the system with fake faces and drawings, causing chat activity to plummet 50% and developers to demand reversal of the disastrous update.

Key Points

  • Roblox's new AI-powered age verification system is misidentifying users' ages, with children being classified as adults and vice versa, causing widespread user complaints and developer protests
  • Age-verified accounts for minors as young as 9 are being sold on eBay for as little as $4, while users easily trick the system using fake faces, avatars, or drawn-on facial features
  • Chat activity has plummeted by nearly 50% on many games since the rollout, with developers reporting their platforms feel 'lifeless' and calling for Roblox to reverse the update

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