Facebook Account Verification Leaves Some Quest 2 Buyers in the Cold
It is now widely known that Oculus Quest 2 will require a Facebook account log in at launch and that the account will have to be a genuine one. Last week, a small number of users faced problems operating their Quest 2 headsets as the account verifications returned false positives forcing some buyers to return their headsets.
The issue mainly affected buyers grappling with the following scenarios: –
- Buyers not Facebook who are creating a new Facebook account
- Buyers using old Facebook accounts
- Buyers reactivating their old Facebook accounts
Facebook’s account verification process is reportedly being done via a machine learning agent and may request a photographic evidence of users’ identity. However, this evidence must be renewed manually by a human which can take weeks to process.
Users who were trying to reactivate their old Facebook accounts to use the new Oculus Quest 2 headset faced instant suspensions. Trying to create a new account to use the headset also doesn’t work.
From user experience so far, there appears to be no recourse if a Facebook account is suspended or if the review fails. In an Instagram AMA, Facebook’s VR boss Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth advised users to ensure that their Facebook accounts is in “good standing” before they purchase the new headset. Quest 2 customers were also advised to contact Oculus Customer Support to work through the account issues but the channel doesn’t appear to be yielding much at the moment.
However, Oculus explained that users having issues logging into the device with their Facebook accounts won’t be losing their purchased content. While some are likely to temporarily experience issues accessing the content if they are unable to log in with their Facebook accounts, they will still be able to access the content once the log in issues have been resolved.
According to Facebook, only a small number of Oculus users are affected by these account login issues. Screenshots posted by Twitter and Reddit users also show Oculus Support staff claiming that they are unable to resolve the Facebook account issues and directing users back to Facebook.
Why this is Happening
From the outset, Facebook has been categorical that users will need to use their real Facebook accounts to log in and operate the Quest 2 headset. Facebook insists that users must have only one account that represents them as a person.
Facebook has also faced intense pressure from the political arena on the need to curb the creation of fake Facebook profiles on its platform which are used by various state and non-state actors to influence or manipulate electoral processes.
Facebook’s automated account verification systems generally balance the false positives (banning a real account) and the false negatives (like letting a bot through). With the US elections coming in just a few weeks, Facebook could be prioritizing on minimizing the false negatives.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Facebook account verification tool issued a warning to users that the number of human verifiers would be reduced. It isn’t clear whether that situation has changed. Given the sensitive nature of user account details and photo ID, it is probably unlikely that Facebook would opt for a work from home alternative for its account verification staff.
Are you facing Facebook account issues with your Oculus Quest 2? Have you been able to work around this? Let us know in the comment section.
https://virtualrealitytimes.com/2020/10/19/facebook-account-verification-leaves-some-quest-2-buyers-in-the-cold/https://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Quest-Elite-Strap-600x381.jpghttps://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Quest-Elite-Strap-150x90.jpgTechnologyIt is now widely known that Oculus Quest 2 will require a Facebook account log in at launch and that the account will have to be a genuine one. Last week, a small number of users faced problems operating their Quest 2 headsets as the account verifications returned false...Sam OchanjiSam Ochanji[email protected]EditorVirtual Reality Times - Metaverse & VR