Metaverse, is already under a lot of scrutiny due to safety and privacy concerns. In first reported case of sexual assault in metaverse, 16-year-old girl ‘gang-raped’ by online strangers in video game.
Metaverse, which is considered to be the next big thing is already under a lot of scrutiny due to safety and privacy concerns as UK police registered and began investigating the first reported gang rape case in Metaverse. First reported by Dailymail, the virtual avatar of a 16-year-old girl (minor) was gang raped by a group of online strangers.
Although the victim, wearing a VR headset, did not endure physical harm, the psychological distress encountered is akin to real-world assault due to the immersive nature of the VR experience.
Law enforcement is urging the enactment of legislation to address sexual offenses within the metaverse, highlighting the necessity for adaptive strategies to shield children from exploitation. However, the case has sparked inquiries regarding the prioritization of law enforcement efforts, especially in light of the prevailing backlog of real-world rape cases.
Horizon Worlds, a free VR game owned by Meta (formerly Facebook), allows users to generate avatars and manipulate them using VR headsets and related equipment. This disclosure comes on the heels of previous reports of sexual assaults in the metaverse, prompting appeals for revised laws to confront the evolving risks linked to artificial intelligence.
Crimes in the Metaverse are not just limited to sexual abuse, there are also several reports of virtual robbery, identity theft, and ransom attacks.
‘The kind of behaviour described has no place on our platform, which is why for all users we have an automatic protection called personal boundary, which keeps people you don’t know a few feet away from you,’ a Meta spokesperson said.
Source: DailyMail, IndianExpress