A tech executive is warning of the dangers of the Metaverse after claiming she was “gang raped.”
Nina Patel, a psychotherapist and start-up co-founder of Kabuni, an academic site, said she was targeted by 4 anonymous and supposedly male attackers, merely for appearing online with a female avatar — just 60 seconds after signing up for the first time.
One, she recalled, even said, “Don’t pretend you didn’t adore it.”
“They relentlessly harassed me after which proceeded to (what can only be described) as the sexual assault of my avatar,” the virtual victim told the Day by day Mail, describing the violent encounter as “surreal” and “horrible.”
The attack occurred inside the virtual reality game called Horizon Worlds, operated by Meta. The assailants yelled obscenities at her and took photos of her avatar while subjecting her to the ritual humiliation, Patel said.
She added: “Their behavior was offensive and disturbing.”
Patel said that anonymity and lack of accountability in VR spaces are partly responsible for the plight she suffered.
“Some people may engage in such offensive behaviors in VR settings because they feel detached from their real-world identities and consider they will act without facing any repercussions,” said Patel, an early adopter of VR technology.
“One other issue potentially is that on some VR platforms, aggressive and violent behavior is encouraged and rewarded.”
While virtual reality is artificial, the real-life ramifications will not be — Patel argues that the aftermath can have “profound emotional and psychological impacts.”
“The intensity of experiences in the Metaverse can mirror the emotions felt in the physical world because of the immersive nature of those environments,” she said.
“This could result in real trauma and psychological distress akin to those experienced in physical assaults.”
Patel’s harrowing experiences coincides with the same case of a teenage girl in Britain, who contacted the police after she was assaulted in the metaverse. Law enforcement officials compared her psychological trauma to that of somebody physically assaulted, because of the immersive nature of VR.
“The girl [who reported her attack to the police] is very brave, and she or he is on a recent frontier,” Patel applauded.
“Bringing this to the attention of the police would have been no easy task, and she or he is breaking ground together with her actions. While we don’t know where it’ll lead, it is a step in the right direction.”
A researcher from the non-profit SumOfUs, which published a report about the “rampant” harassment and abuse in the Metaverse and the lack of motion against users who broke the game’s rules — was attacked inside an hour of joining the VR space.
“It happened so fast I type of disassociated,” the anonymous researcher said. One a part of my brain was like wtf is happening, the other part was like this isn’t a real body, and one other part was like, this is essential research.”
A Meta representative said that the attack was a results of not turning on the “Personal Boundary” feature; when activated, it doesn’t allow non-friends to come back inside 4 feet of your character.
Patel, nevertheless, couldn’t activate hers in time because she “froze.”
“Most users of virtual reality have reported that they had encountered racism, homophobia, and sexual harassment, either directed at them personally or at others,” Patel said.
“When someone is in a VR environment, their brain often perceives the experiences as real, they usually may feel real emotions resembling excitement, fear, joy, or perhaps a sense of presence in the virtual world.”
While negative experiences might “deter” others, Patel as a substitute insists she’s focused on the “potential advantages of the Metaverse,” while also highlighting the need for more safety measures and “responsible design.”
“Today, we discover ourselves at a critical juncture where now we have the opportunity to ascertain the foundation for a Metaverse that brings more positive impact than harm,” she said, hoping her story can “advocate for a safer Metaverse.”
Until then, Patel isn’t convinced the violent behaviors in the virtual world will stop.
“I am not the first, and the British girl who recently experienced it and brought it to the police is not going to be the last,” she said.