META POLICE
INTERPOL police officers could soon be roaming around the metaverse on the hunt for cyber criminals.
The global agency is figuring out how to approach the brand new virtual world so officers are not left behind.
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Experts have already warned the metaverse is a money laundering crime scene and believe it'll become more rampant, complex and profitable.
The metaverse is an endless 3D virtual space where people could eventually work, socialise and play.
This could be with VR headsets but also via your smartphone or PC.
It's been spearheaded by Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg as the future of communication.
And police chiefs are all too aware that crooks love to hop onto trends quickly.
"Criminals are sophisticated and professional in very quickly adapting to any new technological tool that is available to commit crime," Interpol secretary general Jurgen Stock told BBC News.
"We need to sufficiently respond to that.
"Sometimes lawmakers, police, and our societies are running a little bit behind.
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"We have seen if we are doing it too late, it already impacts trust in the tools we are using, and therefore the metaverse.
"In similar platforms that already exist, criminals are using it."
Interpol has already launched its very own metaverse space.
The secret area can only be accessed by police for training and virtual meetings.
One problem decision makers have to contend with is what actually constitutes a crime in the metaverse.
"There are crimes where I don't know whether it can still be called a crime or not," Dr Madan Oberoi, Interpol's executive director of technology and innovation explained.
"For example, there have been reported cases of sexual harassment.
"If you look at the definitions of these crimes in physical space, and you try to apply it in the metaverse, there is a difficulty.
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"We don't know whether we can call them a crime or not, but those threats are definitely there, so those issues are yet to be resolved."
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