Why Interpol Is Joining the Metaverse
Every emerging technology, no matter how well-intentioned, somehow ends up dragging along a slew of problems for the end users. We’ve seen this happen with the internet, cryptocurrency, and most recently with NFTs.A common problem with these technologies is criminal exploitation. Now that the metaverse is becoming more mainstream, Interpol believes it may have a similar problem and is already taking steps to stop it. Here’s everything we know so far.
Interpol Enters the Metaverse
During its 70th General Assembly in New Delhi, India, the International Criminal Police Organization, popularly referred to as Interpol, unveiled its novel adaptation of the metaverse.
While the metaverse is enjoying rapid adoption, it has mostly been geared towards gaming and work with little to no interest from law enforcement. Interpol is taking a big step to change that. The idea is to ensure law enforcement agencies around the world are equipped with knowledge of technology that’s very likely to be a key iteration of the internet.
Why Is Interpol Joining the Metaverse?
From digital identity theft to online harassment, law enforcement has always had to play catch up with digital crimes. Unfortunately, even before new technologies go mainstream, criminals and bad actors typically have their footprints on them. Things aren’t any different with the metaverse. Although still in its infant stages, there are already reports of sexual harassment and several forms of crimes on metaverse platforms.
Considering the virtual and pseudo-anonymous nature of the metaverse, it could potentially be a hotbed for criminal activities if not properly policed. Interpol is jumping into the metaverse with hopes that it doesn’t have to play catch up should crime become a serious issue in the metaverse.
But how do you define a crime in this virtual new world? What action, or actions, would pass for, say, sexual harassment? How would the culprits be identified and punished?
A Preemptive Solution
This global police metaverse is specifically geared at identifying and taking on these problems before they become serious issues, according to astatement by Interpol. It is aimed at helping law enforcement organizations around the world be better equipped to deal with this new kind of threat.
At the New Delhi Interpol event, visitors and Interpol agents were able to take a virtual tour of Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, France. Similarly, Interpol is hoping to deploy its metaverse technologies to remotely sensitize its affiliates and other police organizations around the world on policing in this dynamic new virtual world.
However, the platform wouldn’t only be deployed for teaching police organizations about policing. It would also serve as a virtual policing tool for Interpol to better coordinate its real-world and virtual-world policing. What better way to understand how to police a system than by being a part of it? One of Interpol’s goals is to ensure they get used to the metaverse enough to understand how crime would work within it when things start taking a criminal turn.
Owing to the need for neutrality, Interpol’s metaverse does not use existing, mostly privately owned,metaverse versions like those developed by the likes of Metaand Microsoft. It is a mostly independent system, although enjoying some form of collaboration with, and similarities to, other existing metaverse adaptations. If you don’t really under the concept of the metaverse, check out ourdetailed explanation of the metaverse.
Policing Without Borders
Although it’s not clear how policing would work within the metaverse, Interpol’s metaverse adaptation seems to be an idea in the right direction. Financial crimes, crimes against children, and other forms of crimes that are increasingly difficult to perpetuate in the real world might move over to the virtual world. This might create tough borders and jurisdiction issues for law enforcement if not preemptively tackled.
Our collective preparedness would be key to deciding whether the metaverse would be plagued with the problems of criminal exploitation we’ve seen with technology like cryptocurrency, or become a much safer iteration of the internet where policing is not limited by digital borders.
As the roller-coaster comes to a halt before its impending drop, you look out and wonder how a virtual world could look so real. This kind of experience could be yours some day.
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