Interpol’s Metaverse Expert Group has unveiled a white paper suggesting that metaverse platforms could prove invaluable in the realms of law enforcement training and crime scene preservation and analysis.
The report explores the multifaceted dimensions of the metaverse, highlighting potential use cases that could benefit law enforcement agencies worldwide.
Established in October 2022, the working group has crafted a set of recommendations and guidance aimed at both preventing the misuse of metaverse platforms and utilizing them as a tool for law enforcement.
The white paper underscores various concrete applications of the metaverse for law enforcement, encompassing physical, augmented, and virtual reality elements.
One promising aspect is immersive training through metaverse environments, enhancing the effectiveness of frontline policing.
By recreating crime scenes, sharing information, and planning tactics in virtual settings, agencies can enhance situational awareness and the overall competencies of frontline officers.
Furthermore, metaverse platforms can be employed to create virtual replicas of crime scenes, facilitating continuous access and analysis.
This approach enables exhaustive examination of evidence and allows juries or judges to virtually visit crime scenes to better comprehend case context and details.
Augmented, virtual, and extended reality tools are spotlighted as transformative resources for investigations and law enforcement. Leveraging spatial perception and cognition, these tools offer immersive 3D workspaces that aid in addressing complex knowledge challenges.
The use of extended reality tools has proven crucial in cryptocurrency-related investigations, enabling visualization of transactions and token movements within virtual environments, as exemplified by services like Chainalysis.
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The white paper also endeavors to define metaverse-related crimes and harmful actions, essential for effective policing and platform safety.
It highlights issues such as nonfungible token fraud, cyber-physical attacks, digital identity theft, 3D property and digital asset theft, child grooming, stalking, and sexual harassment.
Metacrime, particularly financial crimes, poses a growing concern in the metaverse, as more individuals shift into virtual spaces daily.
As the metaverse attracts a growing user base, it is anticipated to become a vital source of data and evidence for investigators.
Consequently, law enforcement and legal systems must adapt to this evolving landscape, learning to access data from virtual reality headsets, haptic devices, and metaverse infrastructure.
This shift necessitates training for first responders, forensic specialists, and the broader criminal justice system.
In conclusion, Interpol emphasizes that effectively addressing metacrime in the metaverse requires a holistic approach, involving multi-stakeholder engagement and cross-border collaboration.
Given the metaverse’s diverse jurisdictions, dimensions, and organizations, this collaborative effort is essential for law enforcement to stay ahead of evolving challenges and emerging threats.
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