The details of INTERPOL’s law enforcement-specific Metaverse have been made public. Regardless of their geographical location, police enforcement professionals will be gathered under the concept for the sake of training and collaboration.
Users Will Interact With Officers Via Avatars
The INTERPOL Metaverse enables registered users to interact with other officers via their avatars, tour a virtual replica of the INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France, and even take immersive training courses in forensic investigation and other policing skills without regard to physical or geographic boundaries.
The idea was introduced in New Delhi, India, at the 90th INTERPOL General Assembly. During interactive workshops organized by the developers, delegates had a first-hand encounter with the INTERPOL Metaverse.
INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock said it would support the organization’s goal of fighting crime in the real world and online.
We “may be approaching a new world,” he said in a reference to the speed and spread of virtual world technology, but it shouldn’t interfere with the organization’s goals. Stock added that the metaverse raised issues that have always motivated INTERPOL. He reiterated that the organization remained committed to making the world, whether virtual or not, safer for those who live in it by aiding member nations in their efforts to combat crime.
Also acknowledged was the possibility that this “new world” would usher in the next stage of the development of the internet. as such, being deserving of experimentation at this early point of the development cycle.
Metaverse Still Has Loud Critics
The Metaverse is still a contentious issue. Critics claim that it promotes a dystopian future where “big tech” makes all the decisions. Similarly, the low adoption rate shows that the general public is not yet ready to accept technology, as evidenced by the relatively low number of unique visitors to Decentraland.
However, INTERPOL predicted that by 2026, a quarter of people will “spend at least an hour a day in the Metaverse to work, learn, shop, and socialize,” citing research by Gartner. Criminals are already focusing on the Metaverse, according to INTERPOL.
However, the organization understood that not all crimes committed in the actual world would be considered crimes in the virtual one. implying that policing the Metaverse will present substantial issues.
However, Madan Oberoi, Executive Director of Technology and Innovation at INTERPOL, claimed that by embracing technology and “having these talks now,” they might have an impact on future governance frameworks and stop crime before it takes root.
Image Courtesy Of Shutterstock
