London – A recent police investigation into a sexual assault occurring in the metaverse has sparked discussions on the implications of virtual crimes on real-life individuals and the imperative to safeguard cyberspace. Donna Jones, chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, confirmed that a complaint regarding an online assault prompted a landmark inquiry into sexual crimes within the metaverse.
Reports suggest that the incident involved a child being ‘attacked’ in a virtual-reality (VR) video game, marking the first such case under investigation by British police. The details of the case remain undisclosed.
The term “metaverse” gained prominence in 2021 when Mark Zuckerberg rebranded the company overseeing Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram as ‘Meta.’ It refers to a network of virtual spaces facilitating user communication.
The notion of virtual crimes, including sexual assault, traces back to 1993, with documented cases on text-based platforms such as LambdaMOO. These incidents laid the foundation for the concept of ‘virtual rape.’ As the internet evolved, experts note an increase in such cases, prompting concerns about the ability of companies and law enforcement to police this digital frontier.
Is Sexual Assault a Growing Issue in the Metaverse?
In 2022, psychologist Nina Jane Patel recounted her experience of sexual harassment in Meta’s Horizon Venues (now Horizon Worlds) platform, where she faced verbal and “physical” harassment from multiple male avatars. The immersive nature of the metaverse, she argues, can replicate emotions and trauma similar to those experienced in physical assaults.
While instances of sexual assault on virtual platforms have been flagged by organizations, the extent across multiple apps remains unclear. Meta’s VR headsets, such as Quest, have shipped over 20 million units, and popular VR social app VRChat boasts approximately 50,000 users.
Challenges in reporting virtual crimes persist, with inadequate mechanisms and a burden on victims to come forward. Emma Gibson, global coordinator for the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi), highlights the need for trustworthy and effective reporting systems to address the true scale of the problem.
A spokesperson for Meta emphasized the company’s commitment to user safety, citing the automatic protection feature called personal boundary, designed to keep unknown users at a distance.
Other Crimes in the Metaverse: A Focus on Theft and Fraud
Beyond sexual assault, theft, and financial fraud pose significant risks in the metaverse, fueled by online payments and dedicated virtual currencies. Europol, the EU law enforcement agency, notes the complexity of tracking transactions involving multiple digital currencies.
The metaverse’s decentralized nature also facilitates fraud, exemplified by the $615 million cryptocurrency theft from the Axie Infinity game in 2022. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), authenticated by blockchain, introduce further challenges, with instances like the unauthorized sale of NFTs promising protection for tracts of the Amazon rainforest.
Jurisdictional Challenges and Evolving Cyber Laws
Policing the metaverse presents challenges in defining crimes, establishing jurisdiction, and conducting investigations. The nature of virtual offenses, whether akin to physical assault or harassment, remains a key question.
Jurisdictional issues arise when crimes impact multiple countries, necessitating extradition—a lengthy and rare process. The use of virtual private networks (VPNs) further complicates investigations by masking users’ real-world information.
Ian Critchley, lead child protection specialist at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, stresses the need for an evolving policing approach to pursue predators and safeguard victims across online spaces.
As for cyber laws, the legal definitions of crimes in the metaverse remain unclear. The immersive yet non-physically interactive nature of virtual experiences may not meet current legal benchmarks for sexual abuse, according to a 2022 Europol report. However, legal experts suggest that existing online harassment laws may be updated to better address metaverse-specific challenges as technology advances.
