Meta Adds Parental Controls to Quest VR Headsets

Meta (formerly Facebook) has added parental controls to all Quest Virtual Reality (VR) headsets to allow parents to track screen times for minor users and receive purchase approval requests.

The company said it has started rolling out parental control tools to all Quests headsets. The company said in a blog post that 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 parent dashboard allows parents and guardians to approve teen downloads or purchases of apps that are blocked by default, based on IARC's rating. Teenagers over the age of 13 can send purchase requests that trigger notifications to their parents.

Parents can then approve or reject the request via the Oculus mobile app. They can also block certain apps that may be inappropriate for teens. Meta also said it has launched a new parenting hub. It includes a guide to ConnectSafely's VR parenting tools to help parents discuss virtual reality with their teens.