Facebook parent company Meta has introduced a social distancing rule following complaints of harassment on its virtual reality network Horizon.
If the corresponding function is activated, the digital images of the users - so-called avatars - can no longer approach without restrictions, as Horizon announced on Friday.
Meta aims to create a virtual universe that blurs the lines between the physical and digital worlds.
Horizon is another step in this direction: since December, users from the United States and Canada have been able to virtually meet there in the form of avatars, play games and build their own virtual world.
Horizon already has an anti-harassment feature that will make an avatar's hands disappear if they try to inappropriately touch another avatar.
But that is apparently not enough.
Reports of harassment on the network have recently increased.
"Within 60 seconds of joining, I was verbally and sexually harassed," one user wrote on a blog.
"A terrible experience."
The function of a personal around one's own avatar, which is activated by default, should now remedy the situation.
"If someone tries to invade your personal boundary, the system will halt their forward movement once they reach the boundary," said Horizon Vice President Vivek Sharma.