Microsoft shuts down AltspaceVR’s social hubs to fight harassment | Engadget

Microsoft is to to fight harassment inside the digital actuality app. As of at the moment, the corporate has eliminated the Campfire, News and Entertainment Commons social areas. Those have been hubs the place AltspaceVR customers may freely collect and discuss to at least one one other. But that very same freedom additionally meant harassment was an ongoing challenge.

By default, AltspaceVR’s characteristic is now turned on for all customers. It creates a barrier to stop different folks from getting into your avatar’s private house. Last however not least, Microsoft says the app will routinely mute new attendees after they first be a part of an occasion. The firm has additionally promised to extend moderation and enhance occasion content material rankings to complement these adjustments.

In the approaching weeks, Microsoft mentioned it will require folks to make use of a Microsoft Account to entry AltspaceVR. As a results of that requirement, mother and father may have the choice to make use of the corporate’s Family Safety characteristic to restrict how a lot time their youngsters can spend inside the app.

“As platforms like AltspaceVR evolve, it is important that we look at existing experiences and evaluate whether they’re adequately serving the needs of customers today and in the future,” mentioned Alex Kipman, the top of Microsoft’s combined actuality division. “This includes helping people better connect with those who have shared common interests while also ensuring the spaces they access are safe from inappropriate behavior and harassment.”

The adjustments come as different VR platforms grapple with their very own harassment points. At the beginning of February, Meta rolled out a characteristic known as to . Like AltspaceVR’s Safety Bubble, it’s there to stop folks from getting into your private house. More broadly, the adjustments seem to point Microsoft is dedicated to engaged on some model of the metaverse regardless of latest stories suggesting the corporate’s combined actuality division had misplaced a major variety of staff to rivals like Meta.

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