Virtual Assault in Meta's Horizon Worlds Sparks Concern
Within a minute of joining Meta's Horizon Worlds, a female user was virtually 'gang-raped' by male avatars, raising serious safety concerns in virtual reality spaces.
Alex Carter
- 2024-01-13
- Updated 02:19 PM ET
(NewsNibs) - Psychotherapist Nina Patel, who is also the co-founder of a startup called Kabuni, entered Meta's virtual reality space Horizon Worlds, only to be virtually mobbed and assaulted by four male avatars a mere 60 seconds after her arrival. The avatars, exploiting the anonymity granted by the virtual platform, verbally abused Patel and virtually photographed her during the incident. Following the attack, one of the perpetrators made a derogatory comment, exacerbating the offense. Horizon Worlds, a metaverse environment where users can interact through avatars, was introduced by Meta in 2021 and is accessible via Meta Quest headsets among other devices.
Emotional and Psychological Impact of VR Spaces
The metaverse, while being a hub for innovation and virtual interaction, has become a breeding ground for issues such as sexism, racism, and homophobia, partly due to lax policing in these spaces. Similar to an earlier case in Britain involving a minor's avatar being assaulted, Patel's experience sheds light on the potential for serious emotional and psychological harm that metaverse users can suffer. Reports, including one from advocacy group SumOfUs, have documented assaults and hate speech within VR platforms like Horizon Worlds. The group's report was based on a 21-year-old researcher’s encounter with an attack shortly after engaging with the platform.
Measures for Safety in the Metaverse
One of Horizon Worlds' features designed to prevent such incidents is the Personal Boundary setting, which prevents non-friends from encroaching too closely on a user's avatar. In Patel's case, however, this safety feature was either not activated or failed to work in time. The incident highlights the urgency to implement specific safety measures, especially to protect younger users who may be exposed to inappropriate content. Despite her unsettling ordeal, Patel is determined to utilize her experience to advocate for more secure virtual environments and spark a dialogue for enhanced safety protocols. Moreover, she remains hopeful about the positive impacts of technology, emphasizing the need for responsible design and security measures to protect users from potential harm.
Meta's Horizon Worlds is facing increased scrutiny over user safety after Nina Patel, a psychotherapist, was virtually assaulted within the platform. Her experience underscores the emotional and psychological risks inherent in immersive metaverse technologies. As a response, there are calls for the implementation of better safeguards, particularly for children, to mitigate emotional, psychological, and legal repercussions. As advocates like Patel push for improvement, the balance between the metaverse's vast potential and user safety remains a key challenge for developers and legislators alike.
