Interpol, the global security organization has just announced ‘the first-ever metaverse specifically designed for law enforcement worldwide.’ They report that this would help police officers worldwide to ‘interact with other officers via their avatars,’ and take ‘immersive training courses in forensic investigation and other policing capabilities.’
‘The metaverse has the potential to transform every aspect of our daily lives with enormous implications for law enforcement,’ said Madan Oberoi, the Executive Director of Technology and Innovation at Interpol.
‘But in order for police to understand the metaverse, we need to experience it.’
The metaverse has been paraded as the next phase of the internet, where interactions are possible in cyberspace through avatars using virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) headsets.
In 2021, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced plans for a massive investment in the metaverse, with a platform called Horizon Worlds. However, the company was quickly plagued with allegations of harassment and criticism.
Interpol, which acts as a link between the police forces in 195 countries, stated that it is organizing an expert group on the metaverse to ensure ‘this new virtual world is secure by design.’
The organization added that harmful behavior in the metaverse is a peculiar legal challenge, ‘because not all acts that are criminalized in the physical world are considered crimes when committed in the virtual world.’
Interpol said that the growth of metaverse users will lead to the inevitable growth of possible crimes, citing ‘crimes against children, data theft, money laundering, financial fraud, counterfeiting, ransomware, phishing, and sexual assault and harassment.’
According to the latest Global Crime Trend report, cybercrime is expected to exponentially rise in the coming years.
‘As transnational crimes and criminal networks evolve at an unprecedented pace, law enforcement are often left playing “catch up”, with tools, processes, and procedures that may be outdated or inefficient.’
‘Only by having these conversations now can we build an effective response,’ said Oberoi.
By Marvellous Iwendi.
Source: Euro News.next