US senators are expressing strong opposition to the possibility of teens having access to Facebook’s Metaverse – a virtual universe that would allow users to interact with each other in a 3D environment. The senators have cited potential safety and privacy concerns as the main reasons for their stance.
They worry that minors could be exposed to malicious actors or inappropriate content and that their data may be at risk of being misused or stolen. Moreover, they are concerned that the Metaverse could be used as a platform for cyberbullying, extortion, or even terrorism. As such, they believe it is important to ensure that teens are adequately protected before allowing them access to this virtual space.
The metaverse poses potential threats to teenagers
The metaverse, a virtual universe with a wide variety of activities and content, has raised serious concerns among senators. This is due to its potential threat to teenagers. To make their case, they have highlighted Meta’s inability to protect its young-aged target audience from inappropriate content.
For instance, Messenger Kids the Messenger version for children aged 6 to 12 – had a flaw. This allows users to bypass restrictions and chat with strangers. Another example of Meta’s failure is in its inability to keep out tobacco, and alcohol. Nevertheless eating disorder ads reach teenagers. They even cited a 2021 report stating that Instagram, one of Meta’s services, was highly toxic for teen girls. As a result of these issues, many parents, pediatricians, and policymakers have chosen to move away from the platform.
In addition to these dangers, teenagers using the metaverse also face risks such as the collection of face and eye movement data without consent. Physiological damage such as nausea and eyestrain; exposure to abusive behavior; and intimacy content.
