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The UK\u2019s data watchdog is seeking clarification from Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s Meta about parental controls on its popular virtual reality headset, as campaigners warned that it could breach an online children\u2019s safety code.<\/p>\n
The Information Commissioner\u2019s Office said it was planning \u201cfurther discussions\u201d with the Facebook and Instagram owner about its \u00a3300 Oculus Quest 2 device, which was a sought-after gift over Christmas. However, child safety experts have warned that the headset\u2019s lack of parental controls \u2013 which would allow parents to block content that could be harmful to children \u2013 expose young users to the threat of abuse on the platform.<\/p>\n
Research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a campaign group, has flagged multiple instances of abuse on VRChat, a top-selling social app for Oculus users. Examples of under-18s being harassed on VRChat included a young person\u2019s avatar \u2013 the digital representation used by people on virtual reality platforms \u2013 being followed by two heavily breathing men and another male joking in front of an under-18 that they were a \u201cconvicted sex offender\u201d.<\/p>\n
The ICO said it would contact Meta about the device\u2019s compliance with the age-appropriate design code, also known as the children\u2019s code, which states that the \u201cbest interests of the child should be a primary consideration<\/a>\u201d for online services likely to be accessed by a person under 18.<\/p>\n \u201cOnline services and products that use personal data and are likely to be accessed by children are required to comply with the standards of our children\u2019s code,\u201d said an ICO spokesperson.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are planning further discussions with Meta on its children\u2019s privacy and data protection by design approaches to Oculus products and virtual reality services. Parents and children who have concerns about how their data is being handled can complain to us at the ICO.\u201d<\/p>\n The code focuses on preventing websites and apps from misusing children\u2019s data and also applies to \u201cconnected devices\u201d, but it does not regulate content. A breach of the code could be punished by a fine of up to \u00a317.5m or 4% of a company\u2019s global turnover, which in the case of Meta would be \u00a38bn, although formal warnings and reprimands are also possible.<\/p>\n The architect of the children\u2019s code, the crossbench peer Beeban Kidron, said Meta could be challenged under several aspects of the code. For instance, users need to be over 13 to use the Oculus headset \u2013 a Facebook account, which has a minimum age of 13, is required to operate it \u2013 which could put Meta in breach of the code\u2019s provisions requiring companies to check a user\u2019s age. VRChat, which also has a minimum age requirement of 13, faces similar questions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe worries about the Oculus VR Headset demonstrate why we need to see \u2018safety by design\u2019 as a new norm in tech,\u201d said Kidron. \u201cKids using VR headsets like Oculus can access chatrooms and other features known to carry risk, by simply ticking a box declaring they meet the minimum age requirements. This is an insufficient barrier to underage use of services known to harbour child abuse, harassment, racism and pornography.\u201d<\/p>\n Andy Burrows, the head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC, said there were \u201csubstantive\u201d questions about whether Meta was complying with the children\u2019s code. \u201cImmersive virtual environments present an increased risk to children being exposed to harm in different and intensified ways, and it\u2019s clear Meta hasn\u2019t developed the Oculus headset in a way that\u2019s at all consistent with a safety-by-design approach.\u201d<\/p>\n Burrows added that the CCDH research raised concerns about Zuckerberg\u2019s plans for the \u201cMetaverse\u201d, a catch-all term for an immersive VR world in which people interact socially and professionally. <\/p>\n \u201cIf this is the start of Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s Metaverse it suggests he isn\u2019t committed to building it safely from the outset, and that much-needed lessons still haven\u2019t been learnt,\u201d said Burrows.<\/p>\n The CCDH, which said it had found more than 100 potential violations of Meta\u2019s policies over a 12-hour period on VRChat, said Meta was \u201cignoring the need to embed even minimum protection\u201d for its metaverse plans. \u201cThe public has a right to ask how anyone in good conscience could invite people on to a new platform without real confidence it is safe for them,\u201d said Imran Ahmed, the CCDH chief executive.<\/p>\n A Meta spokesperson said the company was \u201cconfident\u201d that the Oculus headset met the conditions of the children\u2019s code. \u201cWe\u2019re committed to meeting the obligations under the code, and to providing young people with age-appropriate experiences,\u201d said the spokesperson, adding that the Oculus terms of service did not permit under-13s to create accounts or use the device. <\/p>\n The spokesperson said Meta was also committed to building the Metaverse responsibly<\/a> and had already announced a $50m (\u00a337m) investment programme to ensure the concept met regulatory and legal concerns, distributing the money among organisations and academic institutions such as Seoul National University and Women in Immersive Tech. <\/p>\n VRChat has been approached for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n