Meta will soon let young kids chat in VR — but only with their parents’ approval

Meta will soon let kids interact with other users in virtual reality, but only if they get parental approval. An upcoming change will let parents individually approve each user their 10- to 12-year-old can call, chat with, and join VR experiences with on Quest. Previously, Meta didn’t allow kids in that age range to use chats, make calls, or invite others to games.

Last year, Meta lowered the minimum age for kids who can use its Quest headsets from 13 to 10 years old. Kids in this age range must get parental approval to create a Meta account for the headset, which their parents will have control over. Meta also doesn’t show ads to these accounts by default and will only recommend games and apps appropriate to their age.

The change comes as the federal government ramps up scrutiny of child safety on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Discord. In February, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared before the Senate during a hearing and has since spent millions on lobbying while the government mulls bills on online child safety.