Meta, a leading virtual reality company, is accused of concealing the potential dangers of VR headsets for children. A group of former and current employees alleges in a filing with the US Congress that children using VR headsets are being targeted by malicious adults, and that Meta is deliberately covering up these dangers.
Are VR headsets harmful to children?
The report states that some children who meet strangers using online tools on VR headsets have been subjected to harassment. While this is not unique to VR headsets, Meta’s handling of the issue is controversial.
According to the report, despite a concerning incident involving a family in Germany being reported to Meta management, the relevant details were omitted from the file. It also alleges that the company’s legal team requested that data not be collected on children using VR to ignore the potential dangers.
Meta denies these allegations. The company claims that the only reason for deleting the data related to the incident in Germany is because of laws prohibiting the processing of children’s personal data. This defense further embarrasses Meta.
The recent launch of Horizon Worlds VR, a virtual platform for children under 10, has drawn the attention of US authorities, particularly regarding the presence of adults and children on the same servers. These new allegations raise serious questions about the platform’s future and reliability.
