Meta Platforms, the leading force in AR and VR devices, unveiled its latest mixed-reality headset, Quest 3, this month. In a bid to expand its user base, the company has lowered the minimum age requirement for Meta Quest accounts from 13 to 10 years.
Starting later this year, parents will be able to create parent-managed accounts for children aged 10 to 12 on Meta's Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets.
Meta, headed by Mark Zuckerberg, is aiming to provide a safe and age-appropriate experience for younger users. The company emphasises that children in the preteen age group will need parental approval to set up an account and download apps on virtual reality headsets.
To ensure age-appropriate interactions, Meta will utilise children's ages to recommend suitable apps through its app store. Parents will retain control over the apps their kids can access and will have the ability to block or limit app usage as desired.
Addressing concerns regarding privacy and safety, Meta will set the default privacy settings of kids aged 10 to 12 to private. This setting restricts unknown individuals from following preteens without explicit approval from the child or their parent. Active status and app usage by this age group will be concealed by default, unless parents choose to allow sharing of this information.
Parental controls extend beyond privacy settings, with Meta offering options to set time limits and schedule breaks from device usage. Additionally, parents can cast VR experiences onto a phone or TV screen, allowing them to monitor their child's virtual activities.
Meta also assures users that ads will not be displayed for participants in the 10 to 12 age group. Parents will have the choice to permit or restrict the use of their child's data for improving Meta's services. If needed, parents can also delete their child's account and associated user details.
The social media giant is collaborating with developers to expand the library of age-appropriate apps and games available on the Meta Quest Platform for this younger age group. Currently, Meta's social virtual reality app, Horizon Worlds, is accessible to users above the age of 13 in the US and Canada, and to those above 18 in Europe.