BBC report exposes VRChat app used to groom children Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. BBC report exposes VRChat app used to groom children "Everything about the rooms feels unnerving." News by Victoria Kennedy News reporter Updated on 23 Feb 2022 A new report has revealed grooming and inappropriate behaviour being directed towards minors in the VRChat app. Warning: this article details disturbing content related to the sexual harassment of minors. The BBC report documents researcher Jess Sherwood's experience while using VRChat. Posing as a 13-year-old girl, Sherwood used a Meta Quest headset to enter different virtual reality rooms. When she was in, she was approached by grown men who asked her why she "wasn't in school" before encouraging her to take part in VR sex acts. In a virtual strip club, Sherwood witnessed men chasing a child round, instructing them to remove their clothing. These rooms contained sex toys and condoms, and one user began simulating sexual acts with a beer bottle on the female characters in the room. She also bore witness to racial insults and threats of rape while using the VR app. "Everything about the rooms feels unnerving. There are characters simulating sex acts on the floor in big groups, speaking to one another like children play-acting at being adult couples", Sherwood said. "It's very uncomfortable, and your options are to stay and watch, move on to another room where you might see something similar, or join in - which, on many occasions, I was instructed to do". Another VR user told the BBC that they had to intervene and protect a seven-year-old who was being threatened with rape while using a Meta owned app. "I shouldn't have had to do that, but that's because there's no moderation, or apparently very little moderation." National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) representative Mr Burrows told the BBC, "This is a product that is dangerous by design, because of oversight and neglect. We are seeing products rolled out without any suggestion that safety has been considered". In response to this report, VRChat told the BBC it was: "working hard to make itself a safe and welcoming place for everyone". "Predatory and toxic behaviour has no place on the platform". Meanwhile, Bill Stillwell from Meta stated: "We want everyone using our products to have a good experience and easily find the tools that can help in situations like these, so we can investigate and take action. For cross platform apps...we provide tools that allow players to report and block users." "We will continue to make improvements as we learn more about how people interact in these spaces." Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store