Channel 4’s Dispatches programme sent undercover reporters to look into the Metaverse, Facebook’s virtual reality universe. They found rampant sexist and racist abuse in the 3D online community. Child protection campaigners have labelled the Metaverse as an online wild west.
According to The Times:
Andy Burrows, the head of child safety online policy at NSPCC, told the programme: “Children are going into those spaces expecting that they will be safe.
And what you’re seeing is spaces that are being designed to appeal to children, to draw children in, but then no even cursory attempt at safeguarding, or at moderating. You have an online Wild West.”
The Metaverse includes 3D online worlds that users can explore with their avatars, using virtual reality headsets.
The most popular headset used to access the Metaverse is the Oculus Quest 2, which is owned by Meta, the parent company of Facebook.
More than eight million Oculus Quest 2 headsets have been sold worldwide, with customers requiring a Facebook account to use them, for which they need to be 13 years old.
Yinka Bokinni, a journalist, went undercover in the Metaverse for Dispatches, posing as both a 22-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl. The investigation will be broadcast tonight.
She tried out two of the most popular apps in the Oculus Quest Store — VRChat and Rec Room.
Within minutes, she found herself surrounded by other users, making sexually explicit comments and exhibiting threatening behaviour.
Bokinni also witnessed sexually threatening behaviour between what appeared to be teenagers, as well as simulated sex acts between users who appeared to be minors.
Other users appeared to discuss sex acts with minors.
Users also appeared to discuss sex acts with minors in the same room.
In another scene, another user was seen using extreme racial slurs, saying: “You’re black. Imagine being black — get back to the fields, cotton-picker. I hate n****er.”
In response to the allegations Meta (Facebook) told Dispatches:
“We don’t own these apps, and they can be used on phones, laptops and other VR devices, not just Quest. We cannot take action against customers on devices we don’t make. We prohibit anyone under 13 from creating Quest accounts and design some experiences only for people 18 and over.”
This sounds like paedo heaven. Essentially, Meta is saying that although it has created the virtual universe, it bears no responsibility for what takes place there.
That’s ridiculous. But then, I think the idea of a virtual reality universe is both ridiculous and dangerous.
Call me a Luddite.
