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Metaverse Raises Privacy and Cybersecurity Concerns

By Oriana Alexander, Wail Jihadi and Bryan Parker
May 01, 2022

The "metaverse" can be defined as a simulated digital environment that uses augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and blockchain, along with concepts from social media, to create spaces for rich user interaction mimicking the real world. In late 2021, Facebook changed its name to Meta Platforms as a symbol of its leadership in the Metaverse frontier. Another corporate giant, J.P. Morgan Chase, the largest bank in the U.S., opened Onyx Lounge, a bank in the Metaverse, where it projects the Metaverse market will reach over $1 trillion dollars in annual revenue in the coming years. From rappers like Meek Mill, Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z promoting the purchase of NFTs, to the NBA All-Star Game awarding contestants with Bitcoin, the Metaverse is becoming a hot topic. But what is the Metaverse?

The reach and use of the Metaverse are far-reaching and much of it, definitionally, is yet to be defined. While the Metaverse continues to evolve there are a few defining features that are agreed upon which include: 1) AR and VR technology to simulate the real world; 2) digital avatars that represent users; 3) interoperability across platforms; and 4) a decentralized digital economy based on new digital currencies.

In other words, the Metaverse will be the next version of the Internet that provides an immersive virtual experience. For now, the extent to which Metaverse technology will be integrated into our physical world remains unknown. This raises new concerns about data privacy, cybersecurity, new cybercrimes and constitutional issues.

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