In the US, senators ask Meta to suspend the plan to launch the metaverse for teenagers

Recently, we report on Newsverse that Meta aims to open its 'Horizon Worlds' metaverse to teenagers in mid-2023. Apparently the update did not please a base of senators in the United States. In a letter, signed by four Democratic parliamentarians, Meta is asked to abandon the idea of ​​opening the virtual environment to teenagers, at least for now. 

Meta wants to insert teenagers into its metaverse

According to the North American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, Meta plans to open Horizon Worlds to teenagers starting in March. According to this Tuesday's publication (7), the newspaper had access to a document entitled “Horizon 2023 Objectives and Strategies”, which contained information about the Goal's objectives for its metaverse.

To the senators who signed the request, Ed Markey, Richard Blumenthal, Amy Klobuchar and Brian Schatz, allowing this public to enter the metaverse could trigger a series of problems of curto and long term for young people. The biggest concern on the part of politicians is around the safety, privacy and mental and emotional health of teenagers. 

In the letter, the senators allege security and privacy problems in the metaverse

In the letter, the senators say that “Meta's transition to the metaverse represents a new frontier in technology and could have significant implications for the privacy, security and well-being of users”. Ultimately, they asked Meta to suspend development of the metaverse app for teens until issues pertaining to security, privacy, and well-being are addressed in a transparent manner. 

Meta, on the other side of the controversy, in turn, stated that it isprometaken to ensure the safety and privacy of teenage users. The company also added that it is working together with experts in child safety and well-being, with the aim of stipulating efficient guidelines for the safe use of the metaverse. 

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Goal outlines plans to attract 500 people to Horizon Worlds by June

In the Meta document released by The Wall Street Journal that outlines the company's plans for the first half of 2023, entitled “Horizon 2023 Objectives and Strategies”, shows an overview of the updates that are to come on the platform. The focus is to increase the user base and popularize Meta Horizon Worlds. The goal is to have 500 active users on the platform by June.