1st global police metaverse unveiled

THE METAVERSE ALLOWS USERS TO TOUR A VIRTUAL FACSIMILE OF THE INTERPOL HQ IN FRANCE, INTERACT WITH OFFICERS

NEW DELHI: The Interpol on Thursday launched the first global police metaverse at its 90th General Assembly in New Delhi, the global police body said in a statement.

This “fully operational” Interpol metaverse allows registered users to tour a virtual facsimile of the Interpol General Secretariat headquarters in France, interact with other officers via avatars, and even take immersive training course, the Interpol statement said.

The World Economic Forum, which has partnered with Interpol, Meta, Microsoft and others in an initiative to define and govern the metaverse, has warned that social engineering scams, violent extremism and misinformation could be particular challenges, the statement said.

As the number of metaverse users grows and the technology further develops, according to Interpol, the list of possible crimes will expand to potentially including crimes against children, data theft, money laundering, financial fraud, counterfeiting, ransomware, phishing, and sexual assault and harassment. For law enforcement, some of these threats are likely to present significant challenges because not all acts that are criminalised in the physical world are considered crimes when committed in the virtual world.

“By identifying these risks from the outset, we can work with stakeholders to shape the necessary governance frameworks and cut off future criminal markets before they are fully formed,” said Madan Oberoi, Interpol’s executive director of technology and innovation. The Interpol also announced the creation of an ‘Expert Group on the Metaverse’.

Interpol secretary general Jürgen Stock said “For many, the metaverse seems to herald an abstract future, but the issues it raises are those that have always motivated Interpol – supporting our member countries to fight crime...”