Is the Metaverse Safe as Adult-Only Spaces Emerge?
What the Metaverse is and who it’s for are questions many are asking, but even those in the know have a handful of concerns: is it safe and who’s in control? Like all modern technologies, it’s fair to have concern and criticism about what harmful elements may lurk beneath the surface, and the Metaverse is trying to be one step ahead of these dilemmas.
The promise of the Metaverse is that you can essentially connect, interact, shop, experience events, and even invest (you can check out the 360° AI solution if you want to know more about such information related to Metaverse investments), which opens a lot of doors to things being introduced without moderation.
In the real world, many rules and laws limit the activities and spaces, so that harm isn’t caused, but will the Metaverse have such restrictions? The problem is that the Metaverse will essentially be accessible and available to anyone, so how does Meta plan to limit what certain users see?
Meta’s Mature Worlds
As you could imagine with the various adult-centric products and concepts, Meta is set to introduce a ‘space’ in the Metaverse that only those over 18 years of age could enter. Known as Mature Worlds, these spaces are likely to allow more sexually suggestive and adult-themed content to be generated and shared.
How the gatekeeping of these Mature Worlds is handled is obviously yet to be seen, but it will be an interesting space for many advertisers, users, and retailers to engage in if the moderation is well managed.
Of course, the priority is protecting underage users, so having strong regulation over these spaces, as to prevent any disturbing or potentially harmful content from making its way into the Metaverse experience without consent.
Prohibited Activities in the Metaverse
The fear of further social breakdown often alarms young people and adults, as well as parents who view with great concern the technological advances to which young people may be exposed to.
From this concern arises the need to establish limits and prohibitions within this new world of virtual reality, thus establishing what can be seen or not in a virtual space, which given the possibilities, needs to be clearly defined.
There are so many critical issues to consider now in a convulsed world where traditions, values, culture, and education, in general, are drastically affected.
We have seen how harassment, violence, intimidation, and personal attacks have become commonplace online, so Facebook has said to have created a set of prohibitions that allow a comfortable and safe environment when using the Metaverse.
All users of the Metaverse must be aware that despite their personal experiences in the real world, there are certain limitations and rules that they must respect and adapt to as a Metaverse community, thus guaranteeing proper conduct among the diversity that will exist in the Metaverse.
Content that generates violence, the use of drugs or weapons, as well as criminal activities or commercial activities considered illegal in the real world and that transfer to the virtual world, will be another of the contents blocked by Meta in its Metaverse project.
Minimum age required to enter the Metaverse
There’s no doubt that the kids market is big for Facebook, but while they want the Metaverse to be open to all ages, they have instilled a minimum regulatory age of 13, which is a positive move.
Furthermore, children between the ages of 13 and 17 will then also have additional security protocols to pass through, which is where parents or representatives must approve a kind of parental control.
Apart from the main requirement of age, another aspect to consider is that users do not necessarily have to use their everyday or real name since their Facebook accounts will be unlinked from Meta, which can be seen as a positive or negative thing – something that Meta as a company will have to manage effectively.
Conclusion
The Metaverse will undoubtedly bring a whole new paradigm of interaction and possibilities from the comforts of our home, but allowing the Metaverse to be a place of self-expression while also regulating harmful content will once again be the balancing act Meta will have to deal with.