Questions were raised about whether it was doing enough to protect children from inappropriate content. Meta-owned Instagram has also rolled out more parental controls, plans for which were revealed last year.
The Quest headset’s terms of service say that users must be over 13 years old. “Providing age-appropriate and safe experiences for teens, while empowering them to explore in VR, is a balancing act.,” wrote Oculus, the Meta-owned company that makes the Quest
The international website BBC News previously reported that a researcher posing as a teenager was able to access virtual strip clubs on a popular VR app, not made by Meta, using a Quest headset.
After that, Oculus is releasing tools to:
- allow parents to block specific apps directly from VR to prevent teens from accessing them
- prevent teens from downloading or purchasing age-inappropriate apps from the Quest Store
- launch a “Parents Dashboard”, accessible from the Oculus mobile app, to – if the adult and teen agree – allow parents to link to their child’s account
Using the dashboard, parents will be able to:
- see all the apps your child has
- get notified when your child makes an RV purchase
- know how much time your child is spending in VR
- view your children’s Oculus friends list
The new controls in Instagram and VR are part of what Meta calls the “Family Center”. Launching in the US and then globally in the coming months, they will allow parents to:
- See how much time your teen spends on Instagram
- set the hours during which your child can use the app
- receive updates on which accounts they follow and are followed by
Initially, the teenagers themselves will have to initiate these controls. After that, parents can do so with the consent of their children.
This article is a translation of the one published in BBC News.
The post Meta will allow parents to limit their children’s experience in virtual reality appeared first on DNEWS.
