Wall Street Journal reporter, David Uberti, reached out last month to open a discussion on a crucial topic when it comes to the hottest topic in the tech world: the metaverse. The article, titled “Come the Metaverse, Can Privacy Exist?” starts this way:
In its current form, the internet relies on data collection that some critics liken to mass surveillance. Technology companies and researchers are beginning to wonder whether the metaverse will be any different.
Facebook Inc.’s name change to Meta Platforms Inc. signaled that businesses behind games, office tools and other services will increasingly invest in this next iteration of cyberspace. Their pitch is to create loosely connected communities where users can work, play and shop using digital avatars.
The infrastructure underpinning the metaverse—virtual-reality glasses and augmented-reality software, for openers—will rely on reams of data showing how users interact with their surroundings in fictional worlds, digital workplaces, virtual doctors’ appointments and elsewhere, said Kavya Pearlman, founder of the XR Safety Initiative, a nonprofit that advocates for the ethical development of immersive technologies.