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Due to a recent post that’s making the rounds on social media platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, Roblox has come under fire for its biometric location tracking on the free-to-play gaming platform. As it’s such a sensitive topic and one that is incredibly important for parents, we’ve done some digging to help shed light on the complex subject. So, if you’re curious about what exactly Biometric Location Tracking data is on Roblox, here’s what you should know.
What Is Biometric Data?
Straight off the bat, it’s important to clarify that Biometric Data and Location Tracking are two separate things. For some reason, the terms have both been combined together in the aforementioned social media post, likely to cause confusion.
Specifically, Biometric Data is defined by the UK GDPR per Article 4(14) as follows:
‘biometric data’ means personal data resulting from specific technical processing relating to the physical, physiological or behavioural characteristics of a natural person, which allow or confirm the unique identification of that natural person, such as facial images or dactyloscopic data;
In essence, Biometric Data is used by companies or organisations to identify and authenticate users. For example, a school canteen may use fingerprint technology to charge students for meals, which means that the school is processing the Biometric Data of its students’ fingerprints in order to identify who is purchasing what.
Is Biometric Data Used in Roblox?
While Biometric Data is used for players aged 17 and up for age verification, the Roblox Corporation does not have access to players’ Biometric Data. In fact, according to Roblox‘s official help page, the company does not receive any of its users’ Biometric Data as it’s collected and processed by a third party. Specifically, the Roblox Corporation declares:
- Roblox does not receive a copy of, or have access to, your Biometric Data.
- Our service provider, Veriff or Persona, will respectively delete your Biometric Data within 90 days after collection, unless required by law (such as a warrant or subpoena) to keep your Biometric Data for a longer period.
Essentially, the Biometric Data that Roblox must use for age verification — via third-party companies Veriff or Persona — is used to analyse face geometry that is extracted from the user’s ID and selfie image in order to authenticate the age of the user. Once that’s been completed, the data is deleted after 90 days, unless it’s needed for legal reasons.
Additionally, Roblox does have a feature where it can use facial animation to emote your in-game avatar, by using your device’s camera. This setting can only be used by players over the age of 13. It’s important to note that this data is only temporarily stored on your device, and is not used by Roblox, other users, or a third party company.
What Is Location Tracking?
Location Tracking is used by GPS (Global Positioning System) technology to track the precise location of a person or object. From what we can gather, there is no way to see the location of another Roblox user on the game platform.
However, users who are 13-years-old or older may be asked to opt in to “Location-Based Services”, which does not collect precise location data, but instead uses regional information to help personalise ads and content, much akin to, say, Cookies on a website. Per Roblox’s official help page:
You can choose to use location-based Services if you’re 13 or older. If you agree, we may collect and track geolocation information so that we can offer Services that depend on us knowing where you are. We collect location at the country or region level; we do not collect precise geolocation data. Examples are check-in, or personalizing content or advertising.
We collect this information by using an identifier on your device or browser so that we can recognize you each time you return. To stop us collecting your location information, you can update your device settings, stop using the Service, or uninstall our mobile apps.
It’s worth emphasising that users can opt out of these Location-Based Services.
Does Roblox Use Biometric Location Tracking Data?
So, to summarise: Roblox does use Biometric Data when it comes to age verification, but it’s done so by a third party company. Once the data has been collected and processed, it’s deleted after 90 days, unless necessary for legal reasons.
Meanwhile, Roblox does use a form of Location Tracking, but it is only implemented once the user is 13-years-old, and you can opt out of it. In addition, the game uses regional data rather than precise geolocation data, much like Cookies on a website. To be clear: it is not possible to find the address of another in-game Roblox player.
If you’re like us and have a child who plays Roblox, here are some recommendations to make sure that their account is safe:
- Have an open dialogue with your child about how they and their friends conduct themselves online.
- Make sure that your child/children are aware of the risks of sharing personal information online.
- Periodically, make sure to check the Privacy Settings and Parental Controls of your child’s account (as shown in the image below) to ensure that they are age-appropriate. Do note that it’s possible for your child to accidentally click an unwanted Setting without realising it, so it’s worth double-checking.
And that’s a wrap on our guide on what Biometric Location Tracking data is on Roblox. For more guides and tips, stay tuned to The Nerd Stash.
