The Metaverse – Behind the Hype
The Metaverse is an online persistent-shared space that combines physical and extended reality, often called the ‘New Web’ or ‘Third Place’. It allows users to explore virtual experiences such as fitness, gaming, education, and productivity and interact with people worldwide, using tools such as VR/AR/MR glasses and headsets.
It has gained attention due to technological advancements and offers many benefits, such as increased access to education, entertainment, work, and socialising. It is often compared to the Matrix, as it allows for a simulated environment with specific laws and rules. It’s not a new idea but a culmination of various technologies, such as virtual worlds, augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
The Metaverse has the potential to revolutionise communication and interaction, but it also raises many concerns about privacy, security, copyright and censorship. There is also controversy over the possibility of a single organisation or government controlling and manipulating content or services in the Metaverse.
The hype surrounding the Metaverse has exposed us to a new way of thinking about digital spaces. The Metaverse could alter our experience of work, entertainment, education, and communication by offering virtual stores, digital money, and electronic commerce platforms. However, it must be monitored to protect against cyber-bullying and exploitation and could become overly centralised, with a few companies controlling most of their resources and services.
Since the late 2000s, a handful of internet companies based in Silicon Valley have dominated every aspect of the web, from Search to social media and e-commerce. The Metaverse could change this structure by providing users with more options, greater autonomy, and better customisation. The diversity of the internet, which was once full of enterprises, bloggers and researchers, has been marginalised by Big Tech and nefarious relationships and agreements. A once thriving search optimisation industry became victim to Draconian algorithms that targeted small enterprise and mom-and-pop websites. The so-called ‘updates’ were enforced after key members of Google joined The Bilderberg Group – a shadowy cabal of global elites, 22 of which are named in Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous black book.
On the other hand, the Metaverse could be a more open, fair and accessible platform with multiple curated layers of information and experiences. The Metaverse holds the potential to restore the lost diversity of the internet by creating new ways for businesses and individuals to interact, conduct transactions and share content. It also allows for new forms of creativity and collaboration by enabling users to create and share content with a wider audience.
Decentralisation of the Metaverse must be encouraged to protect against globalist ambitions and ensure freedom of speech, diversity, inclusivity, and equal access to resources. It is important to protect users from malicious practices, market manipulation, cyber-attacks, and digital surveillance while ensuring the user is in control of their data and privacy. The Metaverse can potentially improve our lives, but it must be done carefully. We must consider all the implications and challenges that come with the Metaverse and create a foundation of trust, security and fairness in order to ensure that it can be used to its fullest potential.
Big Tech companies have been gathering massive amounts of data on their users, which they use to create advertisements. This data is shared with Governments, as revealed by Edward Snowden, who uncovered the tech industry’s dragnet with the NSA. The Metaverse needs to be built with security and privacy in mind to protect user data. This requires strong encryption standards, data protection laws, and regulations to prevent monopolisation and censorship. Metaverse can be an open platform with many advantages for users if it is not controlled centrally, such as creating economic opportunities, fostering innovation, providing entertainment, facilitating team meetings and conferences, and giving users control of their data.
