July 8, 2022
Facebook is rolling out its new “Meta accounts” from August as it works to change how users can log into its virtual reality headsets.
The company had to change the login after a backlash from users who had previously accessed the headsets via separate accounts from Oculus.
The new changes mean that Meta accounts will control device-level access and manage app purchases, while Meta Horizon profile will represent the users’ social presence in virtual reality, with associated usernames and avatars.
Users can connect their profiles in a unified Meta Accounts Center that integrates existing social connections from Facebook, Instagram, or Messenger into their virtual reality experiences.
A company spokesman confirmed that Meta will only “combine user data across apps for counting users and enforcing safety rules” for accounts that are not added to the Accounts Center.
Meta’s product director Chris Cox called the new login system “Project Smile” and said the new process would “power continuity across the metaverse.”
The new login system will complement Meta’s efforts to “combine accounts and other products across its family of apps.” This will provide users with cross-app functionality and allow the company to “consolidate data about their behavior in various environments.”
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.
