Interpol Working Out How to Police the Metaverse

Interpol Working Out How to Police the Metaverse           

The International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol, is working on how to police the metaverse, a digital world that is projected as an alternative to the real world. Interpol secretary general Jurgen Stock believes the organization must be ready for the task in the metaverse and its related technology.

Challenges to Police the Metaverse

There are several challenges in policing the metaverse. The police are facing an uphill task while adapting to enforce the law in the metaverse. However, Jurgen Stock, the secretary general of the International Criminal Police Organization Interpol, believes the organization must be prepared to act on crimes in the digital world.

The organization is getting ready for action on the metaverse platforms, which are already being used by some groups for criminal activities. In an interview with the BBC, Stock stated:

"Criminals are sophisticated and professional in quickly adapting to any new technological tool available to commit the crime." We need to be ready to respond. Sometimes lawmakers, police, and our societies are lagging."

Currently, the crimes in the metaverse are largely verbal harassment and assaults. While others include ransomware, counterfeiting, money laundering, and financial fraud. Some of the crimes are in the legal grey zone.

Crimes in the Metaverse

Dr. Madan Oberoi, Interpol’s executive director of technology and innovation, has outlined that one of the biggest problems facing the organization now is determining whether an action constitutes a crime in the metaverse. Recognizing the difficulties on the issue, he said:

"If you look at the definitions of crimes in the physical space and try to apply them in the metaverse, there is a difficulty. We don’t know whether we can call them crimes or not, but those threats are definitely there, so those issues are yet to be resolved."

Oberoi is sure that to police the metaverse, Interpol needs to have contact and presence on metaverse platforms. The organization set up its place in the metaverse, which was inaugurated during the 90th General Assembly in New Delhi in October.

The Interpol metaverse platform also serves an important objective. It offers online courses to members of the force in other countries and facilitates their direct practice in the metaverse.

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