The dark side of the metaverse and how to fight it

Metaverse and Web3 have become catch-all terms that describe some aspects of the future internet. Beyond the hype, however, these technologies are building immersive worlds that intersect digital and real life. As more people migrate to the metaverse to work, play and “live,” so to speak, real-world complications are bound to arise. 

Have you ever thought about how crime will be policed in the metaverse? How will we stop bad actors from ruining the next great leap in human ingenuity? Cointelegraph’s editor-in-chief Kristina Lucrezia Cornèr pondered these questions and more in an exclusive interview with Next Earth’s David Taylor and ActiveFence’s Tomer Poran. The 20-minute talk took place in the oldest bar in Dublin, Ireland.

When asked about how we should tackle the problem of bad actors within the context of the metaverse, Poran opined:

“Don’t try to fix fraudsters or Nazis or terrorists. They will remain. They existed before the internet and they’ll exist after.”

However, that doesn’t mean the problem can’t be addressed. “There is one aspect that we as platform providers can do, which is education,” said Taylor. “And just constant education. It will never be enough.”

Related: 34% of gamers want to use crypto in the Metaverse, despite the backlash

Taylor and Poran also gave some examples of bad actors inside the metaverse. We don’t want to spoil the interview, but one example was a plot of land in the shape of a swastika being sold. Of course, you also have your usual cases of scammers and fraudsters.

Corner ended the interview by asking when, finally, will mainstream society be ready for the metaverse. You’re going to want to hear the experts’ thoughtful answers on this one, especially if you are banking on metaverse plays being part of your crypto portfolio moving forward.

Check out the full interview on our YouTube channel, and don’t forget to subscribe!