Distances between virtual reality avatars must be enforced, according to Meta.

 

Meta to bring in mandatory distances between virtual reality avatars

After worries that Mark Zuckerberg's ideas for a metaverse will lead to a fresh wave of online harassment, the social media tycoon's virtual reality company is introducing a mandatory barrier between people's digital avatars.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is betting a multimillion-dollar wager on virtual reality as his empire's next source of development, but his strategy has already been hampered by concerns that virtual worlds are riddled with abuse.

A user testing Horizon Worlds, a virtual reality software owned by Zuckberg's Meta company, complained of being groped online and requested a protective bubble around their avatar, or digital image of oneself, in December. "Sexual harassment is no laughing matter on the conventional internet, but being in VR adds another dimension that intensifies the experience," the individual explained.

On Friday, Meta announced the addition of personal limits to two virtual reality apps: Horizon Worlds, where users may meet other VR users and create their own environment, and Horizon Venues, which organizes VR events like comedy performances and music gigs. According to the business, the distance between people would be four feet in VR.

"A personal barrier protects your avatar's personal area from intruders. "If someone tries to enter your personal border, the system will stop them as soon as they reach it," the company added. Meta will make the 4ft barrier the default setting and will examine other improvements like allowing users to define their own bounds.

"We believe this will contribute to the establishment of behavioral norms – which is critical for a medium as new as VR," Meta stated.

The UK data protection authority has also asked Meta for clarification on the company's popular Oculus Quest 2 VR headset's parental controls after campaigners warned that it might violate an online children's safety rule. After the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a campaign group, identified many incidents of abuse on VRChat, a top-selling social software for Oculus headset users, the Information Commissioner's Office announced it will speak with Meta.

Last year, Zuckerberg rebranded his company from Facebook Inc to Meta, signaling that the metaverse, a concept in which the physical and digital worlds collide via virtual and augmented reality, is the future of his organization.

Although a fully-fledged metaverse is still a long way off, Meta has already announced a $50 million (£37 million) investment program to ensure the concept meets regulatory and legal requirements, with funds going to organizations and academic institutions such as Seoul National University and Women in Immersive Tech.

 we have a tiny request. Every day, millions of people come to the Guardian for open, independent, and high-quality news, and we now have readers in 180 countries.

We think that everyone has a right to knowledge based on science and truth, as well as analysis based on authority and honesty. That's why we took a different approach: we made the decision to make our reporting accessible to all readers, regardless of where they reside or how much they can afford to pay. More people will be better informed, united, and inspired to take meaningful action as a result of this.

A truth-seeking global news organization like the Guardian is critical in these frightening times. Because we don't have any shareholders or a rich owner, our journalism is free of commercial and political influence, which sets us apart. Our independence empowers us to investigate, challenge, and expose people in power at a time when it has never been more critical.