Meta’s Horizons Worlds Plan: A Potential Threat to Children’s Safety and Privacy

According to reports, on April 14th, dozens of advocacy organizations and child safety experts signed a group letter to Meta CEO Zuckerberg, calling on Meta to end its plan to allow minors to enter its new virtual reality world. Experts believe that minors will face harassment and privacy violations in virtual reality applications, which are only in their early stages. Meta must wait for peer review to determine that children and adolescents are safe, “the letter wrote. According to the report, Meta plans to invite teenagers to join its metaverse application Horizo n Worlds in the coming months.

Experts call on Meta to stop opening Horizon Worlds to minors

In recent news, it has been reported that dozens of advocacy organizations and child safety experts have signed a group letter addressed to Meta CEO Zuckerberg, strongly urging the company to call off its plan to allow minors into its new virtual reality world, Horizon Worlds. The experts believe that minors may face various forms of harassment and privacy violations in virtual reality applications. Meta should consider waiting for peer review to ensure that children and adolescents will be safe before implementing its plans.

Background: Meta’s Horizons Worlds Plan

Meta has recently made headlines with its plan to introduce Horizons Worlds, its latest metaverse application, to the public. Meta is one of the world’s largest tech companies and is widely known for its virtual reality platform, Oculus. Horizon Worlds is envisioned as a place where people can interact, socialize, and create virtual experiences.
According to the latest reports, Meta intends to welcome teenagers to Horizon Worlds in the coming months, sparking debates among experts about the potential threats to children’s safety and privacy in virtual reality applications.

The Letter to Meta CEO Zuckerberg

On April 14th, 2022, dozens of advocacy organizations and child safety experts sent a group letter to Meta CEO Zuckerberg, urging the company to halt its plan to allow minors into Horizon Worlds. In the letter, they pointed out that virtual reality applications are still in their early stages and that there is no adequate research on the impacts of virtual reality on children’s safety and privacy.
The experts also argued that the anonymity and lack of accountability in virtual reality environments can fuel harassment and other forms of inappropriate behavior, which may cause long-term psychological harm to children.

Risks for Children in Virtual Reality Applications

Child safety experts have long been concerned about the potential risks of exposing children and adolescents to virtual reality applications. Here are some of the most immediate concerns that have been raised in the past:

1. Cyberbullying and Harassment

Virtual reality environments are often unmoderated and unregulated, which can create a breeding ground for cyberbullying and harassment. Children and teenagers may become victims of online bullying and harassment, which can cause severe psychological harm, such as depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts.

2. Privacy and Data Security

In virtual reality environments, users often provide personal information, such as their names, locations, and interests, without realizing the potential risks of sharing that information. Children and adolescents can be especially vulnerable to privacy violations if they are not aware of the risks and do not take adequate measures to protect their personal data.

3. Exposure to Inappropriate Content

Virtual reality applications can expose children and adolescents to inappropriate content, such as violence, sexual content, and hate speech. Without adequate regulation, children may accidentally come across such content, which can have long-term impacts on their mental health and well-being.

The Importance of Peer Review

According to the child safety experts who signed the group letter to Meta CEO Zuckerberg, Meta needs to wait for a peer review process to determine whether children and adolescents will be safe in virtual reality applications. Peer review is a crucial process in which experts in a particular field evaluate the quality and validity of research studies and reports.
In the case of virtual reality applications, peer review can help identify potential risks and threats to children’s safety and privacy and recommend appropriate measures to ensure their protection.

Conclusion

Meta’s plan to allow minors into its virtual reality world, Horizon Worlds, has raised serious concerns among child safety experts and advocacy organizations. The lack of regulation and accountability in virtual reality environments can expose children and adolescents to various forms of harassment, privacy violations, and inappropriate content.
Before implementing its plans, Meta must consider waiting for peer review to ensure that children and adolescents will be safe in Horizon Worlds.

FAQs

Q1. What is a peer review process?

A1. A peer review process is a method in which experts in a particular field review and evaluate research studies and reports to ensure their quality and validity.

Q2. Can virtual reality applications cause long-term psychological harm to children?

A2. Yes, virtual reality applications can cause long-term psychological harm to children if they are exposed to cyberbullying, harassment, and inappropriate content without adequate protection and regulation.

Q3. Why are child safety experts concerned about Meta’s plan to allow minors into Horizon Worlds?

A3. Child safety experts are concerned about Meta’s plan to allow minors into Horizon Worlds because virtual reality environments can expose children and adolescents to various forms of harm, including harassment, privacy violations, and inappropriate content.