Updates to User Reporting Requirements and Developer Tools in VR

Just like the internet, the metaverse won’t be built or managed by a single company. It will be the sum of shared digital experiences, created by companies, individuals, professional developers, and day-to-day users. Managing the metaverse will be a shared responsibility between these groups—and as the metaverse evolves, we’re working closely with you, our developer community, to help ensure your apps are safe and engaging. With real-time social interactions in VR, people can make unique and lasting connections—and build a strong sense of community, causing them to return to an experience again and again. These app communities come with unique norms, etiquette, and social rules that can greatly vary from experience to experience. That’s why we—like other app stores—believe that you, the developer, are best positioned to understand your communities and how to moderate them. Today, we’re announcing several updates to help you create a safe user experience in your apps.

We’ve updated our Virtual Reality Checks (VRCs) to require all multiplayer apps to have an in-app user reporting mechanism accessible through the button. We consider any app with synchronous or asynchronous multiplayer environments a multiplayer app. Synchronous multiplayer environments include apps where users can directly interact with one another through voice, gestures, or text. Asynchronous multiplayer environments include apps with level editors, message boards, or apps in which users can upload their own in-app creations for other people to view.

The VRC on reporting is required for all multiplayer apps starting May 31, 2023. After this date, the existing Meta Quest Platform reporting flow will be phased out—and developers of multiplayer apps will be required to comply with the VRC by adopting one of the tools outlined in the section below.

Our goal is to provide a consistent entry point, across all apps on the platform, to reporting systems managed by you, the app developers. This ensures everyone understands how to notify you about content and conduct that doesn’t adhere to the Code of Conduct for Virtual Experiences (CCVE) or additional rules you may have for your app. For apps that already have an in-app reporting mechanism, our new User Reporting Plugin will let you invoke your in-app reporting flow through a menu accessible when the button is pushed (see “User Reporting Plugin” under Updates to Developer Tools). For apps that do not have an existing in-app reporting mechanism, we’re providing a new service to make building one easy (see “User Reporting Service” under Updates to Developer Tools).

Depending on whether or not your app has an existing user reporting mechanism, you may use one of the following tools to ensure your app uses our common entry point for users to make reports accessible through the button.

The above tools will help ensure your apps comply with the updated VRC Guidelines on user reporting. We previously announced the Blocking API to also help you provide a safe and trusted experience for your users. The Blocking API allows you to integrate and uphold user blocks, so that users don’t interact with people they have previously blocked elsewhere on the Meta Quest Platform.

We’re also partnering with developers to explore third-party tools and services that can help detect and prevent abuse. As the metaverse continues to evolve, we’ll support our developers through any shifts or adaptations needed to align to the metaverse community's expectations.

We know how important it is to keep our collective community safe, and we hope that these updates, resources, and new tools will help you ensure a more positive experience for the people who use your apps.

For more information about these updates, please visit our developer FAQs.