When I was a teenager, social media was just starting, so there weren’t many restrictions in terms of access. Now, regulations – and the consequences of not having them – are everywhere, with the latest example coming through Meta (the epitome of all the good and bad social media has to offer). Meta has announced that it is opening Horizon Worlds for teens with parent-approved access to a Meta account.
Anyone aged 10 to 12 can soon ask to enter a VR game and explore different worlds like the Space Station or the Citadel. Each world also gets a 10+, 13+ or 18+ age rating, with those in the latter category not shown as an option for anyone 17 or under. Parents can approve all worlds in a certain age bracket, go through and select a specific one or wait for their child to submit an application.
Other security features in the Horizon Worlds for teenagers includes the fact that voice chat is closed to everyone except contacts approved by the parent, there are no suggestions to follow and there is a default offline mode and visibility settings — something that can only be changed by a parent. All parent-managed accounts will also permanently disable the personal border feature, which prevents other avatars from getting too close. Also, anyone using a Meta Quest 2 or 3 headset will have to re-enter their birthday before playing.
As thoughtful as these steps seem, parents and guardians may not want to trust the Meta to take care of everything without question. The company has never kept the welfare of young people at the forefront of its decisions, as lawmakers criticized (and sued) Meta for its negligence. Almost every state across the US has been involved in lawsuits accusing Meta of hooking teenagers into their courts and repeatedly promoting safety features while ignoring pleas from officials to devote more time and resources to protecting children. Our deep dive into all of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s risky decisions (including the company taking small steps to stop adults from sexually abusing children on Facebook and Instagram) is available here.
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