Roblox CEO Talks Photo-Based Age Verification

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Roblox CEO Talks Photo-Based Age Verification

Podcast: Bloomberg Talks
Episode: Roblox CEO Talks Photo-Based Age Verification
Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Bloomberg Interviewer
Guest: David Zukey (CEO, Roblox)

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Overview of the Episode

This episode features an interview with Roblox CEO David Zukey discussing the company’s new age verification technology, which leverages AI-driven facial estimation as part of a broad initiative to set a “gold standard” for online safety, especially for a platform with over 150 million daily users. The conversation explores the operational rollout, the impact on platform growth and user safety, privacy maturity, and the implications for advertisers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction of Age Verification Technology

• Roblox is implementing photo-based (AI) age verification for all users wishing to use chat or communications features.
• Rollout Timeline: Begins December 2025, fully implemented by January 2026, across all devices.
• Process:
  • Quick image capture analyzed by AI.
  • Aggregates additional signals (not just facial data).
  • Core goal: Prevent minors from communicating with adults, increase platform security.

David Zukey: "We're rolling out what we believe will be the gold standard for the future of Internet safety... Take a quick image, we'll analyze your age with AI, complement it with a bunch of other signals..." (01:00–01:31)

2. Measuring the Success of Safety Initiatives

• Platform context: Already filters all text, disallows image-sharing, monitors for critical harms, and cooperates with law enforcement.
• Age verification is additive: It's part of a broader, ongoing investment in safety (over 100 safety innovations in the last year).
• Success metrics: Will have better estimates on user ages, plan to build on trusted network features.

David Zukey: "I see this as an addition to everything we're doing and really to our vision of what we've been calling the gold standard." (02:08–02:15)

3. Robustness and Privacy of Photo Verification

• Third-party vendor: Persona I is utilized for verification.
• Security: Uses multiple signals, can repeat verification attempts for accuracy.
• Comparisons: Recognizes flaws in other platforms’ verification; Roblox uses a more robust, layered approach.

David Zukey: "There's a bunch of other signals we have in addition to the facial age estimation and we do have the ability to estimate several times if we need to..." (03:15–03:24)

4. Potential Impact on User Growth and Platform Economics

• Possible short-term friction: Acknowledges user verification can slow growth or revenue as users adapt.
• Long-term vision: Believes safety and trust will boost sustainable growth and the platform’s reputation.
• User base: All ages, with the rapidly growing over-13 demographic.

David Zukey: "We believe over 10% of the global gaming market... is going to be running on Roblox... Long term, we believe this is just the right thing for the platform." (03:56–04:20)

5. Age Demographics & Data Accuracy

• Estimates: Confident in the system's reasonable accuracy, validated through internal testing.
• Expectations: Over time, data accuracy and demographic clarity will improve, aiding platform management and marketing.

David Zukey: "The facial age estimation tech we're going to use is pretty reasonable and pretty accurate. I've tried it, some of my kids have tried it, we've tried it within our staff..." (04:50–05:06)

6. Implications for Advertisers & Platform Economy

• Ad Targeting: More precise age data enables safer and more accurate ad targeting, especially for advertisers interested in the 18+ segment.
• Ecosystem: Roblox's economy remains largely driven by virtual currency (Robux), but advertising is a growing complement.

David Zukey: "Our economy is primarily driven right now by our virtual economy powered by Robux. But advertising is a wonderful complement... they'll have a better idea of really the number of people over 18 on our platform." (05:28–06:11)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Responsibility:

"What an enormous responsibility with 150 million users every day coming to the platform..." — David Zukey (01:03)

• On Being a Safety Leader:

"We're the first really major gaming platform to use AI to estimate the age of everyone on the platform who wants to use chat and communicate." — David Zukey (01:08)

• On Platform Growth:

"...in the earnings call... we shared this amazing growth, both on bookings and use in the 70% year on year rate." — David Zukey (03:58)

• On Ad Opportunity:

"...that's an amazing amount of engagement... advertising is a wonderful compliment..." — David Zukey (05:38)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Topic | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 00:40 | Interview introduction: Why age verification now? | | 01:00 | Age verification rollout details and motivation | | 02:06 | How success will be measured, building on safety | | 03:15 | Technical robustness and privacy of verification | | 03:56 | Balancing safety with platform growth | | 04:50 | Data expectations and accuracy of demographic splits | | 05:28 | Impact on advertising and platform economy |

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Conclusion

This episode provides an in-depth look at how Roblox is setting ambitious new standards for online safety with AI-driven photo-based age verification. CEO David Zukey outlines the company's comprehensive safety program, recognizes the trade-offs in user growth, and anticipates significant benefits for advertisers and platform trust. The conversation offers valuable insight into the future of youth digital safety, platform management, and online business models.

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Transcript

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[Bloomberg News Host]

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[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Roadblocks began rolling out age verification technology for all users and is introducing age based chat as the gaming platform expands safety features with further parental resources to mobile. CEO David Zuki joins us now. And Dave, this really builds on that big ambitious September announcement. How is this going to be rolling out out?

[David Zukey]

Hey, great to be here and what an enormous responsibility with 150 million users every day coming to the platform, we're rolling out what we believe will be the gold standard for the future of Internet safety where the first really major gaming platform to use AI to estimate the age of everyone on the platform who wants to use chat and communicate. We're going to start rolling this out in December and then it'll be should be all rolled out by January basically on whatever device you're on. Take a quick image will analyze your age with AI, complement it with a bunch of other signals and use that really to figure out who, who might you be chatting with to keep the platform more safe. We're not going to be allowing minors for example to communicate with people who are adults and we're going to roll it out to everyone on the platform.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

I'm really interested as to how you're going to measure success here Dave, because in many ways you're trying to prove a negative. But how do you, how are you going internally thinking this has worked? People are satisfied and they're safe.

[David Zukey]

Well I want to highlight things are already working in that we're a very unique platform in that we filter all of the text and communication on our platform. We don't allow the sharing of images. We have monitoring for critical harms. We work very closely with law enforcement. So I see this as an addition to, to everything we're doing and really to our vision of what we've been calling the gold standard. But we do estimate over the next few months will we'll know roughly the age of everyone on the platform and we'll complement that with some of the other things we do like trusted connections and, and things like that to constantly build on our innovation. You know, we've shipped over 100 safety innovations in the last year. So it's really a continuation of that.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Focus you're using a third party vendor Persona I and how are you going to be ensuring that that's robust enough the AI the underlying technology is robust enough over in the uk? Well some they're using Discord for example have managed to bypass previous facial recognition age verification tests.

[David Zukey]

There's a bunch of other signals we have in addition to the facial age estimation and we do have the ability to estimate several times if we need to so. So in addition to using the camera to do an age check we have other ways to validate and putting all of these sign signals together we believe is is pretty robust.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Really what's so interesting is clearly you're here with safety as a priority. You did mention back in the earnings, your CFO in particular that that maybe you'll see some friction. Maybe the numbers, the revenue, the growth might be impacted as people start to have to verify their age may be slower to come and adopt. Do you think that that will bear out how will it look longer term?

[David Zukey]

We shared this vision that we believe over 10% of the global gaming market which is is somewhere between a 180 and 200 billion market is going to be running on roadblocks and in the, in the earnings call we just had we, we shared this amazing growth both on bookings and use in the 70% year on year rate. Long term we, we believe this is just the right thing for the platform. We're unique in that we have all ages. We, we have people under 13 over 13 or over 13 is growing rapidly. This is the right long term vision and we're really optimistic about continuing our growth.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Okay, so this is the right balance from your perspective what do you think the data will bear out as to the name? Well ultimately the actual ages of people you have using it. Do you think you have more under 13 you anticipated? Do you think you have more older users?

[David Zukey]

We can't estimate that exactly. What I can say is that are the facial age estimation tech we're going to use is is pretty reasonable and pretty accurate. I've tried it my, some of my kids have tried it. We've tried it within our staff meeting. So I think we're going to find out where reason reasonably close but over time we will get a better signal on everyone's age.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

And this must be something that marketeers that those that eventually will buying more ads with roadblocks are going to be looking at. Is this going to help? Well inject some fuel to that offering because people will feel safer about what age group are going to be consuming such adverts.

[David Zukey]

We have shared a couple of things. You know, we don't target under 18 already on the platform, but there's an enormous number of older users joining the platform. We shared in our earnings call. I believe in Q4 like we're literally earning Q3 running at over 10 billion hours a month of engagement. That's an amazing amount of engagement. Our economy is primarily driven right now by our our virtual economy powered by Robux. But advertising is a wonderful compliment and you're right, we're going to have a better, more accurate estimate of everyone's age, which for a lot of our advertisers that are starting to hop on with events supporting all kinds of things, beauty products, movies, things like that, they'll have a better idea of really the number of people over 18 on our platform.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Roblox CEO David Zukey on the latest safety updates. We really appreciate you joining the show today. Thank you.

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