Facebook is rolling out its new “Meta accounts” from August as it works to change how users can log into its virtual reality headsets.<\/p>\n
The company had to change the login after a backlash from users who had previously accessed the headsets via separate accounts from Oculus.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Meta’s product director Chris Cox called the new login system “Project Smile” and said the new process would “power continuity across the metaverse.”<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n