Navigating the Metaverse: Policing Crime and Bad Actors in Our Digital Future

The Metaverse: A Brave New World

The concept of the Metaverse is often touted as the next giant leap for mankind (or at least for mankind’s collective gaming and socializing endeavors). But wait—amid all the excitement, have you ever wondered how we’re going to keep the peace in this virtual playground? Imagine, if you will, digital citizens prancing about an immersive realm, and then BAM!—a rogue NPC (non-playable character) swindling your avatar out of its hard-earned loot.

The Collision of Reality and Virtuality

As people increasingly migrate to the Metaverse for work, play, and perhaps some light existential dread, real-world complications are bound to spill over. It’s like bringing your suitcase to a water park—eventually, something’s going to get wet. The central question at play here is: How do we address crimes in an environment that’s not entirely clear-cut?

The Experts Weigh In

Recently, Cointelegraph’s editor-in-chief Kristina Lucrezia Cornèr sat down with tech gurus David Taylor from Next Earth and Tomer Poran from ActiveFence in one of Dublin’s oldest watering holes. Their conversation, punctuated by pints and ponderings, tackled the thorny issue of policing in the Metaverse. Spoiler alert: it’s not a simple fix.

“Don’t try to fix fraudsters or Nazis or terrorists. They will remain. They existed before the internet and they’ll exist after.” — Tomer Poran

Poor Poran may have unwittingly issued a challenge to the hopeful cyber-police awaiting their Metaverse debut. He suggested that rather than trying to eliminate all bad actors (because good luck with that), education should be prioritized. Enter David Taylor’s call for “constant education.” It’s not a one-time seminar; it’s more like a never-ending TED Talk for the digital age.

Real-Life Examples of Digital Villainy

As any proud denizen of the Metaverse can attest, bad actors aren’t hard to find. During the interview, Taylor and Poran shared some eyebrow-raising references to a plot of land shaped like a swastika. Yes, you read that right. While you might think such displays would be relegated to the wrong side of Reddit, they somehow found their way into the Metaverse. Alongside this, there are the usual array of scams and shifty moves that pepper any digital landscape.

The Future: Ready or Not?

Finally, Cornèr raised perhaps the most important question of all: When will society as a whole be ready to embrace the Metaverse? For those of us banking on it being the glittering jewel in our crypto portfolios, the panel’s thoughtful responses should be a must-listen. Will mainstream society ever don the virtual goggles without trepidation or skepticism? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure—it won’t be a boring ride.