Meta Platforms released its next-generation mixed reality headset, the Quest 3, earlier this month. The company led by Mark Zuckerberg, which currently dominates the market for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality devices, is now lowering the minimum age for Meta Quest account users from 13 years old to 10 years old. With the latest development, parents can set up parent-managed Meta accounts for 10- and 12-year-olds on Meta’s Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets, starting later this year. Meta says it won’t show ads to users in this age group. In addition, apps classified as safe for children will be recommended.
The parent company of Facebook, through a blog post on Friday, it announced that parents will be able to set up accounts for the Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets for their children in the 10-12 age group, starting later this year. The company stresses that tweens will need to get parental approval to set up an account and download apps on the VR headset.
Meta will use children’s ages to “provide age-appropriate experiences” in its app store, such as recommending age-appropriate apps. Although the age limit has been drastically lowered, parents are promised to control the apps their children download from the Meta Quest platform. Plus, they could block access to apps at any time, Meta says.
Addressing parental concerns, Meta says parents will be able to set time limits for kids’ headphone use and schedule breaks from the devices. There will be options to stream VR experiences to a phone or TV screen allowing parents to monitor what their tweens are watching while wearing the headset.
Also, it is promised that the meta profiles of children between the ages of 10 and 12 will be set to private by default. This functionality would prevent unknown people from following tweens without their or their parents’ approval. The active status and current use of the app by this age group will also be hidden from others by default, unless their parents choose to allow this information to be shared. Also, tweens will not be able to change the default privacy and security settings.
Ads will not appear for participants in this age group. Parents can choose whether their children’s data can be used to improve the company’s services. Additionally, parents will be able to delete their child’s account and related user details, Meta added.
Meta revealed that it is working with the developer community to add more age-appropriate apps and games on the Meta Quest platform for this age group. Starting now, Meta’s social VR app Horizon Worlds will be accessible to people ages 13 and older in the US and Canada. In Europe, users over the age of 18 can access it.
