London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 25, 2025

Oculus Quest 2: Meta to discuss children's VR safety with watchdog

Oculus Quest 2: Meta to discuss children's VR safety with watchdog

The Information Commissioners' Office (ICO) is to talk to Meta about how its virtual reality (VR) business Oculus complies with the regulator's "children's code".

The code aims to ensure that online services likely to be accessed by children are appropriate for their use.

A campaign group recently found evidence of harassment of under-18s in a popular third-party VR chat app.

Meta says it is working to implement the code with the ICO.

"We're committed to meeting the obligations under the code, and to providing young people with age-appropriate experiences," the company said.

Users of Oculus need to be over 13 years of age, and the firm's guidance says: "Adults should monitor how their children... use Oculus devices."

But crossbench peer Beeban Kidron, who is the architect of the children's code, said she was concerned the checks were insufficient.

She told the Guardian: "Kids using VR headsets like Oculus can access chat rooms and other features known to carry risk, by simply ticking a box declaring they meet the minimum age requirements."

Virtual chat


Recently, the issue of child safety in virtual reality was raised by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). The campaign group looked at a popular third-party app called VRChat.

The app works on a number of platforms, including Oculus where it is available in the VR headset's app store.


CCDH claimed its research found instances where under-18s were:

*  exposed to graphic sexual content

*  among users who suffered bullying, sexual harassment and abuse

*  groomed to repeat racist slurs and extremist talking points

The VRChat app allows users to create virtual environments or "worlds" in which to interact with others.

According to the report, researchers visited one user-built environment "themed as a sex club that nonetheless states it is suitable for children aged 13+ and up".

The BBC has approached VRChat for comment.

VRChat's community guidelines state that harassment is not permitted, that "pornography and nudity is not allowed" and that it doesn't allow "hate speech, including language, symbols, and actions".

'Continuous effort"


The ICO said: "We are planning further discussions with Meta on its children's privacy and data protection by design approaches to Oculus products and virtual reality services."

Andy Burrows, head of child safety online policy at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, also expressed concerns about the safety of virtual environments.

"Children can evidently be exposed to harmful and inappropriate content when using Oculus", he wrote, "and this raises substantive questions about whether Meta has met its regulatory requirements in the children's code."

In a statement, Meta said: "We're working to implement the standards within the Age Appropriate Design Code (children's code), in consultation with the ICO.

"This is a continuous effort on our part which takes into account developing technologies, guidance and understanding around the digital environment, and how young people interact with it."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×