On Wednesday, Meta revealed it will enable 10 to 12-year-olds to engage in VR interactions, contingent upon parental consent. Previously, this age group had been restricted from communicating with others on Quest.
Meta plans to implement a feature in a forthcoming update that allows parents to curate a list of contacts for their children. These approved contacts will be permitted to chat, call, and extend or accept invitations for shared experiences in VR settings deemed appropriate by parents.
With this initiative, Meta aims to introduce VR to younger audiences, bolstering their familiarity and likelihood of continued use into the future. This strategy may also position Meta as a contender against youth-centric platforms like Roblox and Minecraft by Microsoft.
Meta has outlined that contacts must be approved by a parent and monitored through the child’s Following and Followers list, where parents have the control to add or remove contacts. Children can also nominate followers for parental approval.
Reducing the recommended age for Quest headset usage to 10 from 13 last year, Meta introduced accounts managed by parents. This move provides the 10 to 12 age group access to VR content suitable for their age on Quest.
Given that VR is a comparatively recent technology, its usage risks remain partially undisclosed, sparking concerns about child safety among parents, advocacy groups, and academics.
This move to incorporate social features within children’s Quest accounts emerges as Meta and other social media giants like TikTok and Snapchat face growing scrutiny from legislators to ensure the safety of minors on their platforms.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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