Meta allegedly suppressed VR safety research on children

Summary: Reporting by The Washington Post and Engadget says current and former Meta employees presented documents to Congress alleging that internal research showing children being exposed to predators in Meta’s VR platform was edited to remove the worst incidents. Researchers claim at least one child under 10 was sexually propositioned while using a Meta VR headset; Meta denies the allegations.

Key points

• Employees presented documents to Congress describing grooming incidents in Meta VR and say internal reports omitted the worst offenses.
• Researchers reported meeting a German family whose child under 10 was allegedly approached and sexually propositioned; they say those claims were removed from the internal report.
• Documents reportedly include legal guidance limiting data collection about children due to regulatory concerns, and warnings that under-13s were bypassing age checks. Meta has since lowered its minimum age to 10 with parental approval.
• Meta denies suppressing research and says documents were “stitched together”; the company also cites legal/privacy rules (COPPA/GDPR) as reasons to remove personal details.
• A Senate Judiciary subcommittee is scheduled to examine these allegations at an upcoming hearing.

Sources

Full reporting: Engadget

Additional coverage: The Washington Post (if paywalled)

Questions for readers

What steps should regulators or parents demand from Meta to better protect children in virtual spaces? Share your thoughts below.

Originally reported by Engadget and The Washington Post. This post summarizes public reporting and does not assert undisclosed facts beyond those sources.