The term metaverse comes from the contraction of the English words “meta” and “universe”. Presented as the successor to today's Internet, this virtual world accessible through augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) is already generating a lot of buzz. It can intrigue and fascinate with its “parallel world” dimension” where you can play, walk, shop and, of course, meet people. But meeting people also means risks of unpleasant encounters... between avatars.
Thus, at the end of 2021, we received the first cases of harassment in the metaverse on the Horizon Worlds platform launched by Meta (formerly Facebook).
The avatar is an extension of the user. Legally, if the avatar is attacked, then the user is also attacked. This means that sexual harassment can therefore occur in a virtual environment. But the application of a penalty towards the aggressor remains more problematic, however, as users may remain anonymous through the use of blockchain technologies.
To be continued, then, with one certainty: in tomorrow's metaverse, as on today's networks, you will need to be aware of the risks and dangers in order to better enjoy the experience.
