Meta Asked US Senators Not to Give Horizon Worlds Access to Younger Teen Users

JAKARTA - After reports emerged that Meta plans to open Horizon Worlds to teenagers, two United States (US) senators are now asking the company to reconsider.

Virtual reality (VR) video game platform Meta is currently 18 plus, but there are internal documents indicating the company plans to attract children to join.

Most likely, Meta's goal of growing its alleged user base is on shaky ground. In a letter addressed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Massachusetts Senator Edward J. Markey and Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal expressed concern about Meta's plans.

Where they are planning to open up the Horizon World user base to 13 year old users. This is because teenage users are prone to bullying and harassment in Horizon Worlds, suffering from eye strain and easy nausea, and how Meta might collect data on underage users.

Citing concerns raised by previous research about Meta's impact on adolescent mental health, Markey and Blumenthal said inviting teens into such settings poses serious risks.

"Your plan to immediately engage these young people into a potentially dangerous virtual world with consequences for their physical and mental health is unacceptable," Markey and Blumenthal said in the letter.

"Any strategy to invite young users into a digital space full of potential loss must not be profit-driven," he added.

On the other hand, Markey and Blumenthal are increasingly doubting Meta's ability to protect young users, citing an exploit in Facebook's Messenger Kids app, where underage users easily talk to strangers.

The senators also cited The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), where as many as 32 percent of teenage girls report that Instagram makes them feel worse about their bodies, and Meta is aware of this.

"(Meta has) a documented track record of failure to protect children and young people," said Markey and Blumenthal, as quoted from Engadget, Tuesday, March 7.

The two US senators' concerns come as the social media giant has faced years of scrutiny for its impact on young users.

For your information, Horizon's monthly active user figure is said to have been at 200,000 in January. Meta reportedly hopes to increase that number to half a million by the end of June and one million by the end of the year.

Internal memos indicate that the company sees younger users as key to helping it achieve that goal. Meta also plans to release mobile and web versions of Horizon Worlds soon.