VR: Meta studies reducing recommended age for Quest – 06/17/2023 – Tech

Owner of Facebook and Instagram, Meta announced this Friday (16) that it is considering reducing the recommended age for using the Quest virtual reality device from 13 to 10 years, which had a new version launched earlier this month. The move could raise new privacy and security concerns for parents and world watchers.

The company is discussing the plan with regulators, according to two people with knowledge of the Meta talks, and is trying to assuage parents’ immediate concerns.

The company explained that it can request parental authorization to open an account and that young people could only have access to applications and content allowed for their age group.

With Quest, Meta tries to lead the so-called “metaverse”, virtual worlds whose users interact with each other online by creating avatars.

At the launch of Meta Quest 3 on June 1, Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg showcased virtual and augmented reality technologies – known as “mixed reality” – that allow users to interact in fully digital environments as well as with graphics superimposed on the real world.

Last year, the company gradually lowered the recommended age for using its virtual reality apps. In the post where it talks about the possibility of reducing from 13 to 10 years, Meta explains that the objective is “to give families more ways to use and enjoy Meta Quest”.