Dozens of human-rights organisations and internet-safety groups urged Meta to halt its plan to admit minors into Horizon Worlds, the metaverse. Bloomberg reports.
The company began planning to open its digital world to users aged 13 to 17 in February. At present the app is available only to those aged 18 and older.
Activists say minors could face harassment and abuse in the metaverse, which is still in its early stages of development.
“Meta should wait for further research into the potential risks of the metaverse to be confident in the safety of children and adolescents,” the letter says.
In March, EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager stated that metaverses could become the next target for regulators.
Earlier Meta representatives urged policymakers refrain from regulating digital worlds.