On Thursday, the Interpol launched the first ever metaverse specifically designed for law enforcement agencies worldwide during its 90th General Assembly in 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 Lyon, France without any geographical or physical boundaries, interact with other officers via their avatars, and even take immersive training courses in forensic investigation and other policing capabilities, it said.
The World Economic Forum, which has partnered with the 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, global body said.
As the number of metaverse users grows and the technology further develops, according to Interpol, the list of possible crimes will only expand to potentially include 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 criminalized 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.
“Only by having these conversations now can we build an effective response.”
During an interactive session on Thursday at Pragati Maidan, where the four-day General Assembly is being held - Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event on Tuesday - delegates from 195 member countries were able to digitally enter the Lyon building through avatars, using virtual reality headsets, the global policy body said.
In a follow-up panel discussion, the Interpol also announced the creation of an expert group on metaverse to represent the concerns of law enforcement on the global stage – ensuring this new virtual world is secure by design.
According to the Global Crime Trend report of the Interpol, crime has increasingly moved online as the pace of digitalization has increased.
The metaverse holds many benefits for law enforcement, notably in terms of remote work, networking, collecting and preserving evidence from crime scenes, and delivering training.
Capacity building in the metaverse holds particular promise, offering students more opportunities to collaborate and network, ensuring a greater engagement through immersion and enabling hands-on activities, the statement said.
“The metaverse has the potential to transform every aspect of our daily lives with enormous implications for law enforcement,” said Oberoi.
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 and making the world, virtual or not, safer for those who inhabit it”.
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(With input from news agency language)
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