Meta Reduces Minimum Age For Quest Users From 13 to 10; No Ads For 10-12-Year-Olds

Meta Platforms recently launched its latest mixed reality headset, the Quest 3, and concurrently announced a change in its minimum age requirement for Meta Quest account users. Previously set at 13 years, the minimum age has now been lowered to 10 years, allowing children as young as 10 to create parent-managed Meta accounts on Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets. This new feature will be implemented later this year. In a blog post, Meta emphasized that parental approval would be required for preteens to set up an account and download apps on the virtual reality headsets.

To ensure age-appropriate experiences, Meta will utilize children's ages to recommend suitable apps from its app store. Parents will retain control over the apps their children can download and will have the ability to block access to apps at any time. Notably, Meta assured that ads will not be displayed to users in this age group. Parents will have the option to decide whether their child's data can be used to enhance Meta's services, and they will also be able to delete their child's account and associated user information.

In collaboration with the developer community, Meta is actively working on expanding its range of age-appropriate apps and games available on the Meta Quest Platform for children aged 10 to 12. At present, Meta's social virtual reality app, Horizon Worlds, is accessible to users above the age of 13 in the US and Canada, and users above 18 in Europe. By introducing these changes, Meta aims to provide a safer and more controlled virtual reality experience for younger users while involving parents in the decision-making process.