Step into the Metaverse

Chapter 8Digitalism in the Metaverse

Technology Is Neutral

Technology is neutral. It can bring prosperity to humanity or bring pain and destruction to society. The metaverse will not be any different. We can expect any of the crimes committed in the real world to take place, and potentially explode, in the immersive internet. After all, criminals will be active anywhere there is money to be made, and the metaverse will be a blue ocean full of countless opportunities for consumers, creators, and organizations to make money. Unfortunately, online security is challenging. Many organizations fail to protect their (customer) data correctly, resulting in numerous examples of organizations going bankrupt due to a cyber hack. At the same time, there are examples of people taking their own lives because of online harassment or cyberbullying. Digital criminal activities are already causing havoc worldwide, but with society moving into a multidimensional digital experience, cybercrime is expected to grow to $10.5 trillion in 2025.²⁷⁵ That is trillion, not billion, and more than the GDP of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom combined²⁷⁶ and more than the entire global eCommerce or commercial real estate industry.²⁷⁷

Moreover, emerging technologies such as big data analytics and artificial intelligence, combined with the constant data harvesting thanks to the Internet of Things and social media, have created a surveillance society managed either by private companies or by the state. ...