I thought we’d have at least a few more years until this kind of insanity eventually set in. Has anyone read Snow Crash? Yes? No? If not, go pick yourself up a copy and get a preview of what we’re in for as the metaverse becomes more and more of a thing.

On November 26, a woman beta testing a metaverse world called “Horizon Worlds” reported that she was virtually “groped” by another person in the world, reports The Verge. The incident, which the company called “absolutely unfortunate” is currently under investigation by Meta (the company formerly known as Facebook).

“Sexual harassment is no joke on the regular internet but being in VR adds another layer that makes the event more intense. […] Not only was a groped last night, but there were other people there who supported this behavior which made me feel isolated in the Plaza.”

I’m not going to defend the weirdo who harassed this woman. A creepy weirdo is a creepy weirdo regardless of the platform, but can we not pretend this was something real. “Groped” in the metaverse? You mean his little avatar brushed his goofy little animated hand “against” your goofy little avatar?

Look, I was murdered in a video game once. Now that I think about it, I’ve been killed in video games numerous times… Should I have reported my Call of Duty deaths for an investigation? Am I the victim of a crime? And let’s not get started on the way gamers talk to each other…

But this is going to be the way going forward. I think Meta has opened a can of worms that their target customers aren’t mentally prepared to handle. For their part, Meta has an option that is supposed to prevent such uncomfortable situations from going too far. A “Safe Zone” button was included in the programming that is meant to shield the user and launch them into a literal safe space, but the aforementioned user didn’t activate it.

Regardless of the programmed safe space, I foresee much more of this as the metaverse gets off the ground. Soon users will be claiming PTSD and receiving disability for injuries sustained in the metaverse. Oh, what a magical time to be alive, right?

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