Oculus is making Facebook accounts mandatory – even for existing users
Oculus is making Facebook accounts mandatory – even for existing users
Forcing the use of Facebook accounts is a change that Oculus users have feared since the company was acquired by Facebook in 2014, forcing Oculus users onto the Facebook platform and into a sea of potential privacy concerns.
Oculus account users will soon have the option to merge their Oculus and Facebook accounts. Staring this October, new Oculus users will be forced onto Facebook, and in 2023, all Oculus users will be forced onto the platform or face threats of limited device functionality.
Merging Oculus and Facebook will deliver gamers “social VR” and make it “easier to find, connect, and play with friends in VR”. Even so, many see Facebook’s action as a way to force VR users onto Facebook’s data-devouring ecosystem. While Facebook has stated that user data will be used for “Providing and improving your experience across Facebook products”, “Promoting safety and integrity on our services”, and “Showing you personalized content, including ads, across Facebook products.”
Below are examples of the types of data that Facebook will use when users link their Oculus and Facebook accounts.
– The VR apps you use, so we can recommend new apps you haven’t tried yet
– Your Facebook friend list, to make it easier to find and interact with your Facebook friends who are also in VR
– Invites and acceptances for events you create
– Information like your name and messaging metadata for chats in VR, so that you have access to your chats across devices
– Your photos and related content like captions, likes and comments if you share photos from VR to Facebook
– Information about your VR activity, like which apps you use, to show you ads for other VR apps you may like
– Information about your activity on other Facebook products, such as Pages you like and groups you join, to recommend content and things to do in VR.
This move will limit the reach of Oculus VR and VR as a whole
There are plenty of reasons why many consumers dislike Facebook, from its data-harvesting practices to its innate privacy concerns surrounding its service. Forcing Oculus users to utilise Facebook will turn a lot of gamers away from the brand, and possibly VR as a whole.
While existing Oculus users will be able to continue using their headsets after the company’s 2023 merger deadline, Oculus will be forcing strict limitations on those who fail to enter into the Facebook ecosystem.
Facebook’s announcement has already caused an outcry on social media, with some Oculus users claiming that they will sell their devices over this issue.
Would you consider buying Oculus products after this announcement? You can join the discussion on Oculus forcing its users to use Facebook on the OC3D Forums.