Meta rolls out parental controls to Quest VR headsets

SAN FRANCISCO: Meta, formerly Facebook, has announced that it is adding parental controls to all Quest virtual reality (VR) headsets that will allow parents to keep a tab on underage users' screen time and receive approval requests for purchases.

The company said it is beginning to roll out parental supervision tools to all Quest headsets.

"This is just a starting point, informed by careful collaboration with industry experts, and we will continue to grow and evolve our parental supervision tools over time," the company said in a blogpost.

In the Parent Dashboard, parents and guardians can approve their teenager's download or purchase of an app that is blocked by default based on its IARC-rating.

It will let teens over 13 submit an "Ask to Buy" request, which triggers a notification to their parents.

The parent can then approve or deny the request from the Oculus mobile app. They will also be able to block specific apps that may be inappropriate for their teenagers.

Meta said it is also launching a new Parent education hub that will include a guide to VR parental supervision tools from ConnectSafely to help parents discuss virtual reality with their teens.