Summary:

- Meta (formerly Facebook) plans to open up access to its Horizon Worlds virtual reality platform to preteens aged 13-17 in the coming months. This expansion aims to attract a younger demographic to the metaverse experience.

- However, this move raises concerns about the safety and privacy of minors in virtual environments, which have historically struggled to moderate content and interactions effectively.

- Experts warn that the metaverse could expose young users to inappropriate content, predatory behavior, and other risks, highlighting the need for robust age verification and content moderation systems to protect vulnerable users.