Oh no… Mark Zuckerberg wants to build a metaverse
A Facebook metaverse could be an immersive hellscape
Life in the metaverse
An immersive metaverse could supercharge the misinformation, surveillance, and harassment that’s already rampant on social networks.
Facebook’s data harvesting may also become vastly more intrusive, as VR expert Verity McIntoshtold the BBC:
Facebook’strack recorddoesn’t make me optimistic that our privacy will be protected. I’m also wary of how ads will be delivered in the metaverse, and its potential to exacerbate the digital divides that deny many people access to services.
[Read next:Opinion: Facebook’s brain computer interface will be the instrument of society’s collapse]
Zuckerberg does say he wants the metaverse to be an interoperable and open system that’s run by multiple companies and creators. ButFacebook’s historyof buying rivals and stifling competition makes me skeptical about his claims.
Even if the virtual space is operated collaboratively, I’d be concerned about how it’s governed. Tech firms aren’t generally fans of external regulation.
None of this is to say that a metaverse is a bad idea. After 18 months of pandemic life, the idea of teleporting to a virtual island or catching up with holograms of family abroad is incredibly attractive. I just hope that Facebook won’t be watching our every move.
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Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.
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