Meta to Lower Age for Users of Quest VR Headset to 10 From 13
In its blog post, Meta said it was making the age change to the Quest headset “to give families even more ways to use and enjoy Meta Quest.” It added that it was committed to “building safe, positive experiences for young people.”
Technology use by teenagers and children has long been a contentious issue. Last month, the United States surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued a public warning about the risks of social media to young people, urging a push to fully understand the possible “harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” He also called on policymakers to limit young people’s access to social media to help protect children and their privacy.
Virtual reality is a relatively new field and its risks are still emerging. But harassment, assaults, bullying and hate speech already run rampant in virtual reality games, which are part of the metaverse, and there are few mechanisms to easily report the misbehavior, researchers have said.
As concerns have heightened, regulators have taken action. The Federal Trade Commission recently intensified its crackdowns on tech companies for violating a federal children’s privacy law. That law, called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, requires sites and apps directed at young people to obtain consent from a parent before collecting personal details — like an email address or precise location — from a child under the age of 13.
Meta and its platforms have been of particular concern to regulators. Last month, the F.T.C. said it was considering action to bar Meta from profiting off the data of young people on all of its platforms — including Instagram and Horizon Worlds — and that the company’s “recklessness” had put young users at risk. Meta subsequently asked a federal court to block the agency’s proposed action.
Source: The New York Times
