On October 28, 2021, then Facebook’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg announced that the Facebook company would be changing its name to Meta, as it entered a new stage of development that could make the metaverse a reality. An evolving concept, the metaverse essentially aims to bridge physical distances by providing a virtual space where people can connect in much the same way as they would in the real world. However, doubts remain over how beneficial such a feat would be. After all, the metaverse has shown potential to mimic both the good and the bad of real life experiences. Without enough safety measures regulating virtual spaces, this dark side has grown unchecked, most recently manifesting itself in the form of virtual sexual harassment.
Merely one day into the year 2024, a report was made by the Daily Mail describing the case of a 16-year-old girl in the United Kingdom (UK), whose metaverse avatar had been gang raped by a group of online strangers. Though there were no physical injuries involved, the victim was said to be left distressed following the virtual rape. Even so, the public appeared to be doubtful of the seriousness of the assault, claiming that it should not be compared to the violence suffered by people in real life. Sadly, cases of virtual harassment seem to be as pervasive as those in the real world –a 2018 report found that 49 percent of female users, and 36 percent of male users had experienced sexual harassment in virtual reality (VR) spaces . Though online sexual harassment is no new development –it has existed for as long as the technology has– the immersive nature of the metaverse has upped the stakes by eroding whatever distinction there used to be between online and offline crimes, both in terms of damages and appropriate punishment.
Understanding The Metaverse Landscape
Despite the widespread use of the word, not many people are aware of what the metaverse truly is. As of now, there seems to be a broad consensus that the metaverse entails a network of interactive virtual worlds, where people can connect and perform real-life daily activities, such as shopping, attending concerts, or working. Current examples include Meta’s Horizon Worlds, Sandbox, Somnium Space, etc. The purpose of these platforms is to mirror real life as accurately as current technology will allow. For example, haptic technology is employed to simulate sensations of touch and motion, allowing the metaverse to be both seen and felt. Though these advances have refined the metaverse, they have also made it easier for perpetrators to replicate inappropriate behavior, and for victims to feel it, even through the screen.
In 2022, psychologist Nina Jane Patel published a detailed record of her experience of sexual assault in Horizon Worlds, disclosing that, in less than a minute after logging into the platform, her avatar was gang raped by three to four male-looking avatars. Similar cases were brought to light in a report by SumOfUs, a movement committed to holding corporations accountable. In one instance, Mari DeGrazia, a player in Population One, described feeling another user groping her chest by way of the haptic vest she was wearing.
As a large investor in the sector, and owner of several metaverse platforms, Meta has repeatedly been called on to enforce regulations that would protect people from unwanted interactions. The company has responded by adding a personal boundary feature that, if activated, would help users block strangers from approaching or talking to them. In parallel, they have also added a block and report function that would pass harassment complaints on to Meta’s monitoring team. However, this measure has been subject to scrutiny as it is difficult to provide proof of the assault without allowing for users to be recorded, which would consequently clash with privacy regulations.
The Blurry Lines Between Both Worlds
The metaverse has become a living contradiction. For some users, it is an entirely separate world where anything goes; for others, the perturbing moments they experience in the virtual world rarely remain within its boundaries, instead seeping into and disrupting their daily lives. To dive further into the issue, The Granite Tower (GT) conducted an interview with Professor Lee Ji-yeon (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Department of Counseling·UX Psychology). When asked about the effects of immersive virtual environments on a person’s perception of social boundaries, Professor Lee explained that users can sometimes “feel a [...] sense of detachment from their physical selves.” The anonymity of one’s avatar, in combination with “perceived reduced accountability” causes people to perform actions they would otherwise not do in the “real” world.
Be that as it may, the same feeling of separation does not apply to victims of virtual sexual harassment who, according to Professor Lee, exhibit signs of “anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” not unlike victims in real life. Further expounding on these psychological effects, Lee explains that the belief that virtual experiences are less valid leads to a victim’s perceived lack of support and understanding, which then further hinders their ability to report the assault and seek counseling. To remedy these circumstances, Lee emphasized the importance of government legislation and initiatives that encourage sympathetic communities online, improve assistance channels, and revamp digital literacy education. Specifically, future teaching “should not only teach how to use technology but how to use it safely,” providing guidance on what constitutes proper behavior in online spaces. Moreover, as one of Meta’s few psychologist advisors on women’s safety, Lee noted that more recruitment of psychology experts is needed across the board if online harassment is to be properly addressed.
Despite the distressing accounts of victims, virtual sexual harassment is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the dangers posed by the metaverse. As the technology evolves, the risks of more sophisticated crimes will also increase; ransomware attacks, identity theft, and virtual currency scams are but a few of the possibilities. Cases like the ones outlined in this article provide a fertile ground on which relevant actors can build a solid framework for cybercrime prevention. But for that to happen, the world must no longer ignore virtual harassment victims or the psychological toll that their experiences have burdened them with.