04-05 Metaverse Grapples With Sexual Harassment Conundrum or ...Crime?

Nina Jane Patel felt confined and under threat as the male avatars closed in, intimidating her with verbal abuse, touching her avatar against her will and photographing the incident.

The abuse took place in a virtual world but it felt real to her, and this kind of story is causing severe headaches for architects of the metaverse — the 3D, immersive version of the internet being developed by the likes of Microsoft and Meta.

“I entered the shared space and almost immediately three or four male avatars came very close to me, so there was a sense of entrapment,” Patel told AFP.

“Their voices started verbally and sexually harassing me, with sexual innuendos,” said the London-based entrepreneur.

“They touched and they groped my avatar without my consent. And while they were doing that, another avatar was taking selfie photos.”