A BBC News investigation has found that children as young as 13 can access sexually explicit content and face grooming in the virtual-reality metaverse. A researcher posing as a 13-year-old girl used the app VRChat on a Meta Quest headset and witnessed simulated sex, racist insults, and a rape threat.
The app, which has a minimum age rating of 13, can be downloaded from the Meta Quest store with only a Facebook account required and no age verification. Inside VRChat, rooms include pole-dancing and strip clubs where avatars simulate sex acts. The researcher was shown sex toys and condoms, and approached by adult men.
The NSPCC described the findings as 'extraordinary' and said the app is 'dangerous by design'. Head of online child safety policy Andy Burrows said the investigation found 'a toxic combination of risks'. He added: 'It's children being exposed to entirely inappropriate, really incredibly harmful experiences.'
A safety campaigner who has investigated VRChat told the BBC that children have been groomed on the platform and forced to take part in virtual sex. He noted that because VR is immersive, children physically act out sexual movements.
Meta said it has tools to block users and is looking to make safety improvements 'as it learns how people interact in these spaces'. The company recently rebranded as Meta and is investing billions in its Oculus Quest headset, now called Meta Quest.
