Meta is stepping into new territory by allowing preteens, under the watchful eyes of their parents, to delve into some cool experiences on its Horizon Worlds VR platform, but not without a few important restrictions.
Soon, parents will have the ability to handpick virtual worlds they believe are suitable for their 10 to 12-year-olds. These include fun spots like The Space Station, The Aquarium, or the action-packed Spy School racing game. Preteens can either ask to visit a particular world or parents can cherry-pick from a list to grant access.
Safety is a big deal for Meta, and they’ve set up a number of precautions to keep kids out of harm’s way. They’ve introduced a rating system – 10+, 13+, or 18+ – to indicate which VR adventures are age-appropriate. This makes it easy for parents to approve all worlds rated 10+ while keeping the 18+ ones out of reach. To add another layer of privacy, follower suggestions are off the table, and preteens appear offline to others by default, unless parents decide otherwise.
Another security feature, the “Personal Boundary” setting, is always on, maintaining a virtual two-foot bubble around avatars to prevent unwanted closeness.
This move follows another Meta update letting parents give the green light to specific contacts their kids can chat with and join in VR. And now, users with Meta Quest 2 or 3 headsets need to confirm their birthday each time they log on, adding an extra check on age.
The option for parents to manage accounts for preteens has been around since June 2023. However, even with these enhancements, some parents remain skeptical about Meta’s ability to shield their children adequately. The company’s reputation has taken hits over its handling of young users’ safety on its platforms.
Earlier in the year, Meta was embroiled in controversy after internal documents used in a lawsuit revealed it was knowingly marketing its messaging platforms to minors, despite being aware of adult-to-child inappropriate exchanges. Another lawsuit, filed by attorneys from 42 U.S. states, charged Meta with making its products too alluring for kids, ultimately harming their mental health.
