Black Box Series 2: Metaverse & Ethics Questions
Please don’t forget to check out Black Box Series 1: Metaverse & Ethics if you don’t have an introduction to Metaverse and Ethics or haven’t read the first article in the series yet.
We can say that Metaverse is not a concrete reality yet, but we can say that this three-dimensional immersive new world vision that we talk about will be a structure that will affect all aspects of our personal and professional lives in many areas from socializing to working, from entertainment to learning.
In the Metaverse, any activity you currently do in the physical space can be done virtually; and activities that are currently limited in physical space (teleport:) ). Also, not only are we about to interact between different sandboxes, but these sandboxes will also be able to interact with and influence our physical spaces. Yes, we really live in that century. (XR)
But in addition to all the opportunities this splendour brings, we also have a host of risks and various ethical issues and concerns. Most of our ethical concerns are our current problems in our physical life; privacy, socio-economic inequalities, accessibility, identity control, freedom of creative expression, etc. What is really happening are the problems that reflect us, which are not new.
Ethical issues have existed for centuries, but lately, we’ve been wearing glasses to solve them. The metaverse could open up the frightening possibilities of accessing biometric or brainwave data that could be maliciously used to control people’s work and movements, making it possible to exist in a single digital universe with multiple identities.
So let’s see what these possibilities are.
DATA is much more than text and images!
Privacy and surveillance in virtual worlds
1. Biometric Data
Biometric data can already be provided via virtual reality headsets. Biometric data refers to data that can track a user’s environment, physical movements and dimensions. Through headsets and glasses (VR), which allow people to access the metaverse, companies can track eye movement; which virtual environments the person enters; what body movements they make; how long they stay in an environment; and their physiological response to an experience, such as their heart rate.
We constantly hear the news that some apps disclose personal and even medical information. The news in the example (HIV) is undoubtedly very private and sensitive data, and the person must have the authority to decide under his own control, with whom or not share this data
If companies have access to such sensitive data (we pay with our data on every platform we don’t pay for), instead of manipulating the data or using it for their own benefit, it can not only help secure that data but also provide support to help the individual or improve their skills.
2. Brainwaves from BCIs
There will also be a way to access the metaverse with brain-computer interfaces (BCI).
BCIs can be worn on the head, or wrist, like headphones, or used with goggles. BCI technology follows patterns of electrical activity (brain waves) in the brain through machine learning algorithms and extracts thought-work processes. Connecting directly to an individual’s brain provides new types of data to collect and analyze. While controlling people’s brains through their thoughts and actions is thoroughly unethical (arguably), it can be life-threatening if used maliciously and can have devastating if not harmful consequences.
(Brain-computer interface companies such as Neurosity develop their headsets with the hardware they design with the security of personal data in mind — brainwaves are translated into metadata automatically encrypted by the N1 Chipset.)
Deepfakes and Alternative Representations of Reality
Companies need to invest in cybersecurity to avoid data fraud scandals and potential covert brand manipulations (Metaverse and Cybersecurity are among my writing plans). just one of the types of malicious behaviour we will have to deal with.
For instance; MIT and Mozilla have released a deepfake video showing President Nixon explaining to the press that Apollo 11’s mission to go to the moon was unsuccessful. This video, which is about a kind of alternate reality, was shared widely on social media, fueling the conversation about fraud and ethics. The same situation is with us as a frightening possibility in the claim that we will continue our existence only digitally.
Property and property rights: Protecting Digital Objects (Protecting Digital Twins)
It is not only people but also physical objects that will be virtualized in the Metaverse. For example, buildings, objects in the house, items in a store will all be represented digitally in the metadata store through a virtual twin. (A lot of effort has been put into this at OVR.) This virtual representation will of course raise some ethical concerns:
- Who will decide which of these objects is suitable for digital recreation? (Should anyone be able to create Dolmabahçe as they wish, who will prevent me from adding the Eiffel Tower to my street? :) ) Can this be edited? Or are you open to the freedom to create?
- Can anyone see any virtual twin (structure) in the metaverse? For example, if a house with all personal objects is in the metaverse, can anyone enter it, or do only real-life owners have access? And if only real-life owners have access, how and by whom will it be overseen and monitored? (My answer to this question is to use an invisible collider which adds us to intrude in GTA :) or DAO is exactly that.)
Guarding Children in the Metaverse
What happens in the metaverse does not stay in the metaverse.
We already speculate that what people experience in the digital world can affect their memory, desensitize them, or make them feel like they’ve taken some action before, even if they’ve never actually done it.
It is an issue that needs to be more careful in producing or marketing content for children compared to content for adults, and it should be addressed especially in the metaverse.
Theoretically, anyone can be anything or any image in the metaverse, but knowing important information such as a person’s age, and gender is important for pedagogical considerations. Even if the person appears to be an adult in the metaverse, companies are responsible for determining whether they are dealing with a real adult or a child. (Or, for our non-corporate Metaverse dream, there should be a decentralized ethics committee that oversees it, and should be responsible.) The liability should be with the company, not the user.
Identity and ethical concerns
Any person can use any avatar to create their identity even in the metaverse, as creativity will not be limited to platforms. The creative freedom of expression allows people to choose between avatars regardless of their background, but analysis shows that not all avatars are equally in demand.
According to the study, dark-skinned and female avatars are less in demand by users, raising concerns about race and gender representation in the metaverse, which may be due to a lack of access for certain populations.
Racial and gender-based discrimination is not a new problem for us again.
In an environment where individuals are free to choose how their avatars look, the decision can lead to unintentional intrinsic colourism and sexism. Of course, interfering with free will in preferences raises the question of whether questioning is ethical or not.
The real issue is that brands may avoid perpetuating diversity (race-language-religion-colour-gender-neutrality), which many of them should apply in real life, which can have two possible consequences:
1. Brands can abandon this process and only hire a certain type of image in their metaverse repository, undermining balanced representation and contradicting their own values.
2. Brands can use the metaverse to hide their true intentions to not adhere to real equality policies in physical life. (Creating a marketing strategy by ignoring physical life by using variety in the metaverse)
Unfortunately, the metaverse can act as a shield to hide the lack of diversity and equality that can seriously harm society and the progress made by many individuals for its sake.
So, are our ethical discussions limited to this?
Unfortunately no. Some topics and questions that we can discuss in the upcoming articles of the series;
- Addiction and escape from reality in virtual worlds
How do virtual worlds affect our mental health? How can virtual worlds be designed to encourage healthy use? - Management and organization of virtual worlds
How should virtual worlds be managed and organized? What role should governments and companies play in shaping virtual worlds? - Virtual Economy
How does the virtual economy work and how does it differ from the real-world economy? How does it shape our understanding of the value and how might it affect the real-world economy? - Virtual Business Plans
How the virtual world can use artificial intelligence, automation and human labour How can it affect the real-world labour market? - Virtual Crime
How can virtual worlds be used for criminal activities such as fraud, extortion or money laundering? How it can affect real-world law enforcement.
See you in the next articles!
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Financial Disclaimer: This is not financial advice. I am not a financial advisor. This account is for entertainment and expressing my opinions. Please do your own research and make your own decisions.
