{"id":18376,"date":"2023-03-06T11:28:16","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T11:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/democratic-senators-push-against-metas-idea-of-bringing-the-metaverse-to-teens-metaverse-bitcoin-news\/"},"modified":"2023-03-06T11:28:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T11:28:16","slug":"democratic-senators-push-against-metas-idea-of-bringing-the-metaverse-to-teens-metaverse-bitcoin-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/democratic-senators-push-against-metas-idea-of-bringing-the-metaverse-to-teens-metaverse-bitcoin-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratic Senators Push Against Meta’s Idea of Bringing the Metaverse to Teens \u2013 Metaverse Bitcoin News"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Originally posted on : Bitcoin News )<\/b>
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Meta, the social network company, is getting some pushback on its plan to market and bring Horizon Worlds, its flagship metaverse app, to teens. Democratic senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal directed a letter to the company to halt these actions, citing concerns about the interactions that teens could have in Meta\u2019s virtual worlds.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meta Sees Opposition to Metaverse Adoption Plans for Teens<\/h2>\n

Two Democratic senators have written a letter asking Meta to stop its recently reported plan of opening its metaverse world to teens. Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal, Democrat senators from Massachusetts and Connecticut, criticize the idea of opening Horizon Worlds, Meta\u2019s flagship metaverse app, to teens 13 years and up, citing diverse factors that might endanger them through the interactions available in this virtual world.<\/p>\n

The letter differentiates between standard virtual reality experiences and Horizon Worlds, explaining<\/a> that \u201cthe cumulative set of immersive virtual reality experiences a teenager would confront on the socially-driven Horizon Worlds are distinct from their use of a virtual reality headset to, for example, play a specific single-player game. Inviting young teens into this environment, therefore, poses serious risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Markey and Blumenthal call for halting the plan to protect the health of these young users and their privacy in the metaverse, calling out the company for its previous mistakes involving this demographic.<\/p>\n

Meta\u2019s Teen Adoption Push<\/h2>\n

The Wall Street Journal reported<\/a> on Meta\u2019s plan of including teens in its metaverse on Feb. 7. According to an internal memo obtained by the news outlet, the company\u2019s new strategy included opening the Horizon Worlds experience to teens aged 13 years old and up. This would constitute a change from the current policies of the app, which only allows users from 18 years old to roam the virtual world.<\/p>\n

According to WSJ, Meta\u2019s memo reinforces the need of pushing these services to young users in order to keep growing. Horizon Worlds VP Gabriel Aul reportedly stated:<\/p>\n

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Today our competitors are doing a much better job meeting the unique needs of these cohorts. For Horizon to succeed we need to ensure that we serve this cohort first and foremost.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

While Horizon Worlds experienced rapid growth in its initial stages, growing<\/a> its user base tenfold soon after release in Decemeber 2021, the app has been criticized for its buggy state even by Meta\u2019s own employees. In October, VP of Metaverse Vishal Shah acknowledged<\/a> that the issues present in the app hampered the experience for its users and that even employees of the company were not spending much time using it.<\/p>\n

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\nTags in this story
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Democratic<\/a>, Ed Markey<\/a>, Gabriel Aul<\/a>, Meta<\/a>, Metaverse<\/a>, Privacy<\/a>, Richard Blumenthal<\/a>, risks<\/a>, Senators<\/a>, teens<\/a>, Vishal Shah<\/a>, Wall Street Journal<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What do you think about the opposition that Meta is experiencing regarding bringing Horizon Worlds to teens? Tell us in the comments section below.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\nSergio Goschenko <\/h6>\n

\nSergio is a cryptocurrency journalist based in Venezuela. He describes himself as late to the game, entering the cryptosphere when the price rise happened during December 2017. Having a computer engineering background, living in Venezuela, and being impacted by the cryptocurrency boom at a social level, he offers a different point of view about crypto success and how it helps the unbanked and underserved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image Credits<\/b>: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons<\/em><\/p>\n

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Disclaimer<\/strong>: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com<\/a> does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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