Meta Introduces Horizon Worlds Access for Preteens with Parental Consent

Meta has taken a step towards inclusivity by allowing preteens, with accounts managed by parents, to dive into its virtual realm, Horizon Worlds — of course, under a watchful eye and some precautions.

The tech giant recently revealed that parents will soon be equipped to green-light certain virtual landscapes for their 10 to 12-year-olds. Imagine little adventurers hanging out at The Space Station, wandering through The Aquarium, or racing around in Spy School. Preteens can voice their eagerness to explore specific worlds, or parents can hand-pick those they find suitable.

On top of that, Meta has rolled out extra protective measures to keep kids safe. A new rating system — denoted as 10+, 13+, or 18+ — gives a quick insight into the appropriate age group for each world. This makes it super easy for parents to approve all worlds rated 10+ in one go, while 18+ worlds remain out of sight for the young explorers. Moreover, features such as “follower suggestions” have been disabled, with preteens’ statuses and visibility defaulting to “offline”—though parents can choose otherwise.

An interesting feature is that the “Personal Boundary” setting is now a constant companion, ensuring avatars have a two-virtual-foot bubble to keep unwelcome virtual closeness at bay.

This update comes on the heels of another feature where parents can handpick who their kids can chat with and join in VR fun. Plus, users with Meta Quest 2 or 3 headsets now need to input their birthdate before diving into the gadget.

Since June 2023, parent-managed accounts for preteens have been on the table. However, even with these safety enhancements, some parents remain skeptical about Meta’s commitment to safeguarding their youngsters, fueled by past allegations.

Just earlier this year, Meta faced criticism for allegedly promoting its messaging platforms to underage users, fully aware of the risky content exchange between adults and children, as highlighted in legal documents from a New Mexico Department of Justice lawsuit. Adding to that, a coalition of 42 state attorneys has charged Meta with designing products that attract children, attributing a potential negative impact on their mental health.