Want To Use Meta’s VR Headset? You’ll Need To Provide Your Date Of Birth First.

There’s been an increasing amount of debate in recent years regarding proposed restrictions — or potentially all-out bans — on social media use for minors. And now one of the industry’s biggest names is taking a major step in that direction.

But Meta’s latest update isn’t related to Facebook, Instagram, or even Threads. Instead, users of the Quest 2 and 3 virtual reality headsets will be the ones impacted by the change.

What you should know

If you’ve got one of these headsets or are planning to purchase one, you’ll need to provide a birthday in order to use it. The company announced this week that individuals will be prompted to enter their age in order to offer the “right experience, settings, and protections” for younger users.

Specifically, those between 13 and 17 will have their profiles set to private by default and parents will need to set up the accounts of preteens.

Regardless of age, anyone who fails to enter a birthdate within 30 days will be locked out of their accounts until they comply.

A strategic social shift

Other tech companies are responding to public pressure by implementing new safeguards to protect young users … and the Quest update is not the only policy change announced by Meta.

The company recently informed developers that they would need to reveal the intended age for their target users. Furthermore, third-party apps are also now permitted to send feedback directly to Meta regarding individuals who aren’t old enough to use their respective platforms.

But Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has gone on the record to suggest that he doesn’t think it’s his company’s job to police such matters.

He told lawmakers in January that he believes the companies offering Meta products on their app stores — i.e. Apple and Google — should implement age restrictions.

Chris Agee April 3rd, 2024

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