Meta, the owner of Facebook and Oculus, has updated its terms of service to require all users of its virtual reality headsets to sign up to a Meta account and link their VR devices to that account.
In characteristic newspeak, Meta has couched this as wanting “to give you more choices over how you express yourself in VR”, while in fact limiting the way its devices can be used.
From August 2022, it has been announced, that Oculus accounts must be updated to Meta accounts. If they wish, users can continue with their Oculus accounts if they don’t want to set up a Meta account immediately. However, that only lasts until 1 January 2023, when a Meta account will be required to continue using any Meta VR devices.
Meta’s formal announcement says, among others:
“A Facebook account is no longer required to use Meta VR devices. Instead, you can update your Oculus account to a Meta account, which lets you log into your VR devices and view and manage your purchased apps in one place. You can set up a Meta account using your email address or Facebook account. As part of the process, we’ll migrate your existing VR information (including apps, achievements, and friends) to this account.
“If you continue using an Oculus account, you’ll remain under the updated Oculus Terms of Service and Oculus Privacy Policy. If you use Meta VR products for commercial purposes, then the Commercial Terms also apply to you, which have also been updated to provide clarity on the commercial use of Meta VR products for location-based experiences, arcades, training and demonstrations.
“After January 1, 2023, you’ll need to set up a Meta account to continue using your VR device. When you update your Oculus account to a Meta account, the Supplemental Meta Platforms Technologies Terms of Service and Supplemental Meta Platforms Technologies Privacy Policy will apply to you.
“We want to be clear about how our products work and the data they collect, so you can make informed choices about how you use them. Here are the main things to know about the changes to the updated Oculus Terms of Service and Oculus Privacy Policy, which will go into effect on August 9, 2022, or when the Meta account is available, whichever is the later date:
- Name change: We made changes throughout the Terms and the Privacy Policy to reflect the new Meta name.
- End date for Oculus account support: We also added a statement as a reminder that support for Oculus accounts will end on January 1, 2023, and you will need to set up a Meta account to continue using our VR devices thereafter.
- Product modification: If you reside in the European Economic Area, then we also added a section about the modification of our products to comply with local law.”
Meta ended its announcement with this choice phase: “We’ll notify you when the Meta account is available so you have more choices over how you express yourself in VR.”