The Metaverse, a safe space?

There is no doubt that technology is advancing by leaps and bounds and new technological trends are appearing every time. Until recently we were familiar with terms such as Artificial Intelligence, IoT, cryptocurrencies, or Blockchain… and now we are immersed in the boom of NFTs and the Metaverse.

The Metaverse is a new immersive reality, a three-dimensional virtual world alternative to the physical world, where real or fictional situations are recreated for the enjoyment of users. The development of this world -whose first reference dates back to 1992, in the novel “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson- is based on two innovative technologies: on one hand, Augmented Reality (improves reality, adding additional information) and, on the other, Virtual Reality (scenes and objects of “real appearance”, generated by computer technology).

As a result of the presentation, at the end of last October, by the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, of his firm commitment to this virtual world, the Metaverse has experienced a great push, with large companies investing in it. Thus, according to a report by Bloomberg Intelligence, it is estimated that the Metaverse currently represents a business opportunity of 500,000 million dollars, a figure that will reach 2.5 trillion dollars in 2030.

The new immersive reality that the Metaverse is going to represent will not only be focused on leisure or games but will end up covering any field: social, cultural, educational, work and business. The experts from  Ironhack  -the leading technology school that offers Web Programming, UX/UI Design, Data Analysis, and Cybersecurity boot camps- wanted to analyze its advantages and disadvantages:

Benefits of this new virtual reality

• Exhaustive analysis of the information:  with the creation of digital twins. Today it is a technology that is used in the business world, especially in the industrial sector, and consists of virtually replicating an object, process, or physical service and simulating its operation within the company, to collect data to analyze whether the investment is profitable and improve performance, ordinary users will also have the possibility of creating their own businesses, interacting with people who are physically far away in a more realistic way, playing video games, enjoying immersive experiences such as concerts or exhibitions, among others.
• Telecommuting:  since the pandemic, companies have seen that they can continue to operate without the need to have all their employees in person, which has meant a great change in the way of working, practically unthinkable until now. But today, numerous tools or possibilities facilitate remote work, such as the virtual co-working space, since this new form of teleworking will provide the feeling of being physically in the office surrounded by colleagues and not it will be necessary to be formally dressed, since the employees will be connected through their avatars.
• “Low cost” trips:  before investing in a ticket or a hotel and selecting a destination, you can virtually enjoy any place in the world to know whether or not to opt for the selected trip. But not only that, but those people who, due to health or money problems, cannot travel, will also be able to enjoy a virtual experience through the metaverse.
• Job creation:  the development of this highly advanced technology is creating a large number of jobs. Job opportunities are not only created in real life but also in the virtual world. In fact, in the United Kingdom, there are already advertisements such as  “Gardener wanted in Minecraft “, for 60 euros an hour, solely to advise players of this video game.

Risks of the metaverse:

As the Metaverse develops and expands, cybersecurity will have to be increasingly advanced and sophisticated, due to the risks arising from interactions in this virtual world:

• Data theft and cybersecurity: In addition to blockchain virtual wallets, this new virtual world will increase the number of places that can be attacked, especially as its popularity grows.
• Increase in addiction:  Although cyber addiction has not yet been recognized as a disorder by the World Health Organization, it is considered a problem by many mental health experts. Something that could be exponentially enhanced with the Metaverse.

Physical abuse in the virtual world: If someone sexually assaulted another person within the metaverse, it would still be a crime. But to whom or where should one turn? To date, no law penalizes this type of behavior, so the authorities must study what limits to establish to protect users and that a Metaverse is a safe place.