Metaverse builds on rape culture, and mute bystanders

When metaverse creates a series of historic experiences, it sets a precedent of rape culture. The rape culture propagated by metaverse builds on the medieval concepts that the victims of sexual crimes are to be blamed for their plights, while trivialising sexual crimes.

Interacting with others in the metaverse, however, is made possible by the use of virtual reality (VR) headsets. At the same time, Avatars, surprisingly and interestingly, can be created by altering clothing, gender, hairstyle, facial and body traits, as well as the appearance of the user's face.

They can use cryptocurrency to buy goods and attend activities like concerts and sporting events. Rape culture is just being reinforced by metaverse. Millions of people are unfortunately witnessing this ghastly affair, as rape culture is apparently more widespread than most people realise. Offensive jokes about rape victims, inaction of onlookers are commonplace in the metaverse, while false beliefs are propagated and disseminated to the participants and the audience.

Social media, even in the metaverse, is fueling the rape culture among college students. Strangely, such culture continues to be normalised, despite the fact that it has been well-documented for years that social media is harmful for mental well-being and many other parts of lives. Sad to say that no one wants to accept that sexual crimes are trivialised and normalised in the society, but the truth is that this is indeed the situation. Bystanders who do nothing to aid are another major factor in perpetuating this mentality in the society. We cannot even begin to demolish the rape culture on college campuses around the world without the aid of people who witness or have information of a sexual assault event taking place or having taken place.

The sad and undignified episode is not ending here. Metaverse platform owned by a popular social media had a researcher's avatar sexually attacked, making her the latest victim of virtual sexual abuse. Metaverse, which translates as beyond universe or parallel universe, is a virtual reality environment in which one can interact with others via a computer-generated persona.

Privacy and safety should be integrated into the metaverse and this is the hard-press job to execute to curb the menace of rape culture. Firms are developing devices that provide a physical component to social virtual reality encounters as the internet's 3D space evolves. However, these areas could become safest havens for sexual offenders.

The governments must swiftly amend their laws to address this concern. In India, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 354A, 354D, 499, 507, 508 and the Information Technology Act Sections 66C, 66E, 67 and 67A are some of the legislative provisions for the victims of online abuse. However, in the world of metaverse, these laws are just futile. In the metaverse world, it would be difficult to track down someone to chastise for meta-avatar abuse. It is possible to create an avatar that resembles anyone. A child or a superman can be created from anyone who has the access to the power of technologies.

The IPC provisions against sexual offences or injuries pertain to a man or woman, their body and bodily injury. As a result, it's hard to see how an avatar can be blamed for it. At this point, it is impossible to argue that the penalties of harassing a digital avatar are comparable to those of harassing a real person.

Immense amount of moral pressure is mounting on the platforms to implement safety measures that are activated when a user's avatar feels threatened or vulnerable or compromised. Along with the moral compass, tough laws are the need of the hour. Let's wait and watch.

 (The author teaches at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow)