NEW DELHI (INDIA) – The metaverse is not for tomorrow. He’s already here.
During a surprise session of INTERPOL’s 90th General Assembly in New Delhi, the global police organization unveiled the first-ever metaverse designed specifically for law enforcement agencies around the world.
100% operational, the INTERPOL metaverse allows registered users to visit a virtual version of the headquarters of the INTERPOL General Secretariat in Lyon without any geographic or physical boundaries, to interact with other agents through avatars and even receive immersive training in forensics and other police capabilities.
INTERPOL’s metaverse is accessible through the INTERPOL Secure Cloud, which guarantees its neutrality.
During the interactive session, General Assembly delegates present in New Delhi had the opportunity to enter the Lyon grounds through avatars using virtual reality headsets.
“For many, the metaverse is synonymous with the distant future, but the questions it raises are the ones that have always driven INTERPOL – helping our member states fight crime and make the world, both virtual and real, a safer place for the people who live in it. live,” explains Jürgen Stock, Secretary General of INTERPOL.
“We may be entering a new era, but our commitment remains the same. »
In a follow-up roundtable, INTERPOL also announced the formation of a Metaverse Expert Group to represent law enforcement issues on the global stage and ensure that this new virtual world is designed to be safe.
The metaverse is not the prerogative of gamers
Far from being a simple gadget reserved for gamers, the metaverse is often regarded as the next possible stage in the development of the internet. According to technology research firm Gartner, by 2026, one in four people will spend at least an hour a day in the metaverse to work, study, shop and socialize.
As INTERPOL’s latest Global Crime Trends Report shows, crime is keeping up with the global pace and is gradually shifting to digital. As the boundaries of our real world increasingly merge with the digital universe (which seems to be freeing itself from boundaries), the roundtable asked itself the question: “How do law enforcement agencies continue to safeguard the population and the rule of law?”.
How can the police deepen their insight into threats and at the same time seize opportunities?
Criminals are already starting to abuse the metaverse. The World Economic Forum, which is partnering with INTERPOL, Meta, Microsoft and others in an initiative to define and govern the metaverse, has warned of major threats, such as social engineering fraud, violent extremism and misinformation.
As the number of metaverse users increases and technologies improve, the list of potential offenses will continue to grow to include child crime, data theft, money laundering, financial fraud, counterfeiting, ransomware, phishing, assault and harassment.
Some of these threats are likely to cause major problems for law enforcement agencies, as not all acts criminalized in the real world are considered crimes when committed in the virtual world.
“By identifying these risks early on, we can work with others to put in place the necessary governance frameworks and nip future criminal markets in the bud,” said Madan Oberoi, Executive Director of Technology and Innovation at ‘INTERPOL. “By discussing these issues now, we can act effectively. »
New era, same commitment
The metaverse has many benefits for law enforcement, including telecommuting, matchmaking, crime scene evidence collection and preservation, and training.
Capacity building in the metaverse holds promise as it increases opportunities for learners to collaborate and connect, and increases levels of engagement through immersive experiences and hands-on exercises.
In a live demonstration, experts from INTERPOL’s Directorate of Capacity Building and Training delivered a training session on travel document verification and passenger screening using INTERPOL in a metaverse classroom. Participants were then teleported to an airport, where they could practice their new skills at a virtual border crossing.
“The metaverse can transform every aspect of our daily lives, with huge implications for law enforcement agencies,” Oberoi says.
“Police’s understanding of the metaverse necessarily involves experimentation,” he adds.
Users can visit a virtual version of the headquarters of the General Secretariat of INTERPOL in Lyon without geographic or physical boundaries.
The metaverse has many benefits for law enforcement agencies in terms of telecommuting, networking, and crime scene evidence collection and preservation.
“We may be entering a new era, but our commitment remains the same,” said Jürgen Stock, Secretary General of INTERPOL.
INTERPOL’s metaverse is already 100% operational and allows officers to communicate through avatars.
The police want to deepen their knowledge of the threats while seizing the opportunities presented by the metaverse.
Criminals are already starting to abuse the metaverse.