By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-16-22
In a letter to Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a trio of senators called on the agency to flex its metaverse muscle to make sure children are protected from potential manipulation.
“While some platforms state their VR devices should not be used by children, many adult users have nonetheless encountered numerous children online. In fact, two-thirds of parents with VR devices report that their children asked them to buy the device,” they wrote. Among the potential harms they point to are online harassment and unsafe content.
The senators said increasing use of VR and AR is cause for serious concern related to threats to younger users, including because VR platforms and headsets don’t have parental controls. » Read More