The new tools will allow parents to prevent teens from accessing inappropriate games and experiences through Meta’s virtual reality (VR) headsets.
Questions have been raised about whether it was doing enough to protect children from inappropriate content.
Meta-owned Instagram has also implemented more parental controls, plans for which were revealed last year.
It comes as the UK government legislates to protect children online.
The Quest headset’s terms of service say that users must be over 13 years old.
“Providing safe and age-appropriate experiences for teens, while allowing them to explore in virtual reality, is a balancing act,” Oculus, the Meta-owned company that makes Quest, wrote.
BBC News previously reported that an investigator posing as a teenager was able to access virtual strip clubs in a popular virtual reality app, not made by Meta, using a Quest headset.
Now, Oculus is rolling out tools to:
- allow parents to block specific apps directly from VR to prevent teens from accessing them
- prevent teens from downloading or buying age-inappropriate apps on the Quest Store
- launch a “Parent Dashboard,” accessible from the Oculus mobile app, to, if both the adult and teen agree, allow parents to link to their child’s account
Using the dashboard, parents will be able to:
- see all the apps your child owns
- be notified when your child makes a purchase in VR
- know how much time your child spends in virtual reality
- view your child’s Oculus friends list
The new controls in Instagram and VR are part of what Meta calls its “Family Center.”
Launching in the US and then globally in the coming months, these will allow parents to:
- see how much time your teen spends on instagram
- set the hours during which your child can use the app
- receive updates on which accounts they follow and are followed by
Initially, the teens themselves will have to initiate these checks.
Parents will be able to do so later, with their child’s consent.
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