Facebook and Instagram owner Meta will be lowering the recommended age for Quest headsets from 13 to 10, the company has announced. blog post The move could raise new privacy and safety concerns for parents and global watchdogs.
According to two people familiar with the conversation with Meta, the company is in talks with regulators about its plans, and for the foreseeable future as to whether young children using headsets could be at greater risk. It is said that it is trying to allay the concerns of
Mehta said setting up an account requires parental approval of preschoolers, and younger users will only see apps and content rated for the preschool age group. Quest headsets allow people to enter the so-called metaverse, an immersive online world, to play virtual reality games and perform other tasks.
Over the past year, Meta has gradually lowered the age limit on its virtual reality apps in an effort to reach younger audiences. The company announced in April that it would allow users under the age of 18 to use Horizon Worlds, Meta’s virtual reality-based social network.Horizon World is remain restricted For users over the age of 13, as previously reported by The Verge.
The use of technology by teenagers and children has long been a controversial issue. Last month, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy publicly warned about the risks of social media to young people, urging them to fully understand the “potential harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” . “
Virtual reality is a relatively new technology area and its risks are still real. But harassment, assault, bullying and hate speech are already prevalent in virtual reality games that are part of the Metaverse, and there are few easy mechanisms for reporting misconduct, researchers say.
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