Meta Allows Use of Quest VR Headset Without Facebook Account

Facebook’s parent company Meta Platforms has responded to concerns from the company’s German office by allowing the use of its virtual reality headset without a Facebook account, the office said on Wednesday.

The cartel office has been monitoring Meta since May when it declared it “very important for competition in all markets”, a category that gives the regulator more room to limit the market power of digital companies.

In a statement on Wednesday, Germany’s cartel office said Meta would allow the device to be used with a separate Meta account, paving the way for it to start selling the Quest 2 headset in Germany. This also applies to the new Quest Pro model, it added.

Meta did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Cartel office chief Andreas Mundt pointed to Meta’s strong position in social media and the growing VR market.

“If the use of VR headsets were only possible for members of Facebook or Instagram, this could seriously hamper competition in both areas,” he said.

Despite the headsets being made available to others through the Meta account, the German regulator said it will continue to monitor the structure of user preferences and issues related to the integration and processing of user data from Meta services.

© Thomson Reuters 2022