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Meta Adds Personal Boundaries to Fight Harassment in VR Games

Rolling out today in Horizon World and Horizon Venues

By Cesar Cadenas Cesar Cadenas Writer California State University - Long Beach Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry since 2016 on a variety of topics like cryptocurrency, video games, the latest gadgets, and much more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on February 4, 2022 02:20PM EST Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Social Media Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Meta has announced it’s adding a new Personal Boundary feature to Horizon Worlds and Horizon Venues to protect people from harassment. Personal Boundary creates a bubble of sorts around avatars that prevents players from getting too close to one another and maintains personal space. Meta joins the ranks of other VR developers as this feature appears to have been made in response to a recent harassment incident. Meta Meta explains that the feature ensures players' characters stay around four feet from each other and that there will be no feedback when hitting that barrier. It's similar to how video games put up invisible walls to prevent players from going out of bounds. Actions that require characters to touch each other, like fist-bumping, are still possible. You'll just have to stretch your arm out further. Personal Boundary is currently rolling out to Horizon Worlds and Horizon Venues and will be the default state. You cannot turn boundaries off. The company has stated that it plans to add controls for Personal Boundary settings, like changing the size of the bubble, but there's been no mention of when this update might happen. Meta Recent reports have illuminated how harassment is an issue in these metaverse games. November 2021, a beta tester for Horizon Worlds claimed that her avatar was groped by a stranger and she felt violated. Older VR games, like Rec Room, have also implemented similar bubbles to combat harassment. Other developers are implementing community guidelines and features to moderate this behavior as experts state harassment will continue in VR games. Meta hopes this move will set a new behavioral standard. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How Meta's New VR Headset Could Read Your Face and Bring Privacy Risks How to Play Multiplayer on a Meta (Oculus) Quest 2 Meta/Facebook's Bet on Virtual Reality Metaverse vs. Virtual Reality: How They Differ and What That Means for You How to Set Up and Use Meta (Oculus) Quest 2 How to Get Free Games on Meta (Oculus) Quest and Quest 2 What Is the Metaverse? How to Remove or Replace a Phone's Glass Screen Protector How to Stop Meta (Oculus) Home From Automatically Opening How to Connect Meta (Oculus) Quest 2 to a PC Wirelessly PSVR 2: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors Meta Quest Pro: Price, Release Date, Specs, and News The 9 Best Free VR Games of 2022 5 Things to Consider Before Buying a VR Headset How to Unsend a Facebook Message The 9 Best VR Games of 2022 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies