Tron, The Matrix and Ready Player One are some movies that showcased a futuristic world where people can live, work and socialize in a fully immersive virtual environment alias in the metaverse. In fact, not just movies but the metaverse has the potential to be used for everything from attending virtual concerts to exploring far-off galaxies and beyond. On 22^nd February, the metaverse became part of the headlines and unfortunately not for the good reason. Well, we all know, privacy is a fundamental right - but as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) become more integrated into our daily lives, our privacy is increasingly at risk. As per a recent study from the University of California Berkeley, “privacy may be impossible in the metaverse without innovative new safeguards to protect users.”

The study was conducted at the Centre for Responsible Decentralized Intelligence (RDI) and was led by graduate researcher Vivek Nair. It analyzed the largest dataset of user interactions in virtual reality that has ever been collected for privacy risks. The results are alarming, showing that even the most basic data stream required to interact with a virtual world – simple motion data – may be required to identify a user within a large population uniquely.


Let’s take a look at some of the most prominent privacy risks.
 

• To begin with, as the metaverse becomes more integrated into our daily lives, it will likely collect an unprecedented amount of personal data about its users, including location, behavioral patterns and preferences. This puts users’ privacy at risk, as they may not have control over how their personal data is collected, used and shared.

• The metaverse may be subject to constant monitoring and surveillance, both by the metaverse company and by outside entities such as governments and law enforcement agencies. This means that users’ activities in the metaverse, including their virtual conversations and interactions, could be monitored and recorded without their knowledge or consent.

Nevertheless, the study has suggested some approaches. The first approach is to disguise the motion data before streaming it from the user’s hardware to external servers. However, this introduces noise and compromises user performance in applications requiring physical skill. The second approach is to enact sensible regulations preventing metaverse platforms from storing and analyzing human motion data over time. While this would help protect the public, it would be challenging to enforce and could face pushback from the industry.


As the metaverse is becoming a part of our life, it is crucial to address its privacy risks. The industry needs to work together to develop solutions that protect user privacy and build trust in this exciting technology. By taking action now, we can ensure that the metaverse is a safe and inclusive space for everyone. What are your thoughts on this story? Do you think is it possible to tackle the issue of privacy in the metaverse? You can pitch your thoughts in the comment section below.