Meta is rolling out tools designed for parents to manage preteen access to specific experiences and people on its Horizon Worlds social networking playground.
The tools follow last year's policy change which lowered the minimum age for Quest headset use from 13 to 10 years old, accompanied by the launch of parent-managed Meta accounts.
According to Meta, the tools are designed to allow parents to "individually add approved contacts that a 10- to 12-year-old can then chat with, call, and send or accept invites to join them in MR or VR experiences." In 2022, Meta added a tag to fence off worlds intended for only those who are age 18 and older and, earlier this year, asked Meta account holders to enter their age.
"Once a preteen requests access to Horizon Worlds, a parent will approve and specify the worlds their preteen can access," a Meta post explains. "Worlds can offer preteens access to a variety of fun, engaging and age-appropriate places to hang out with friends and family—no matter where they happen to be, both in-headset and on mobile. And as we open up preteen access to worlds (with parental permission, of course), we’ll encourage creators to build even more age-appropriate and enriching experiences."
Meta's Connect event in late September is expected to showcase the latest headsets and glasses, as well as preview features and long-term plans for Horizon-based headsets with access to services like Worlds tied to a Meta account with the company alongside access to store purchases. With the expected debut of the higher powered and lower cost Quest 3S, Meta may be poised to encourage VR adoption by a new generation of children using Horizon as their first online experiences.
