Today, one commodity above all others fuels the largest internet companies: data. Data has become the new gold for tech pioneers, and data value shows no signs of diminishing.
Consequently, Web 2.0 companies are constantly looking for new ways to harvest data and sell it to the highest bidder. Thankfully, an increasing arsenal of data privacy regulations makes unwarranted data harvesting and poor security infrastructure riskier. However, some companies will always defy the laws, and malicious hackers capitalize on security weaknesses.
Regarding Web 3.0, the methods that organizations have to collect and distribute data will increase dramatically. Metaverse technologies will enable companies to capture increasingly diverse data more than ever. So, what does this mean for privacy?
A Startling Study
In a recent study, “Exploring the Unprecedented Privacy Risks of the Metaverse,” researchers at UC Berkeley and the Technical University of Munich tested a virtual reality (VR) game to see how much data a hacker could obtain. The team found 25 different types of private data assets; many of the identified assets would be impossible to get from a Web 2.0 environment.
When it comes to VR and augmented reality (AR) devices, data collection goes 3D. So, in addition to standard elements such as personally identifiable information (PII) such as names and social security numbers, biometric and geospatial data can also be collected by these devices. Some data points include height, arm length, the size of a room a user is operating in, language, voice, vision, and health statistics.
As with other data points, collectively, these observations can be used to build a profile about a user. However, this profile is far more detailed and intimate in the Metaverse. So what’s the solution?
Can User Privacy Exist in a Metaverse Ecosystem?
Ultimately, any organization that wishes to participate in the Metaverse will have to explore solutions to this advanced threat. First, there are the platforms themselves. While existing data privacy laws will cover most of the data privacy concerns in the Metaverse, there will need to be some edits.
Primarily, this is because, in a virtual environment, many users create multiple data points simultaneously. This information is sent to a server so the technology can render it in real-time.
Firstly, companies must ensure airtight security at the server level, on-prem, or in the cloud. However, the Metaverse is set to become a multi-faceted connected ecosystem where various platforms interact and share data to provide a fluid user experience.
Not only will organizations need to come to a consensus on standardized privacy protocols, but they will also need to develop new data monetization models in tandem. Data has value when it is unique, and much of this value is lost when it is distributed. Consequently, organizations must adapt new models that support data privacy, UX, and monetization in tandem.
What exactly this looks like remains to be seen. Perhaps advanced collaboration will lead to a fairer distribution of “digital gold.”
Hardware Vulnerabilities
Metaverse organizations have another layer of security to deal with beyond the platform layer: hardware. Although the proliferation of IoT (Internet of Things) devices has begun a conversation about and implementation of device-level security, the Metaverse presents a whole new range of obstacles.
The core problem is that existing AR and VR devices rarely have integrated security provisions. The trouble is that up until this point, VR and AR devices have been used for entertainment purposes. However, today the utility of these devices has grown extensively.
As more and more users adopt the technology, hackers will start to target devices. Device manufacturers have a responsibility to include security provisions into hardware, but organizations, on the other hand, can help protect user privacy by only selecting to support devices with adequate security.
Wrap Up
It’s no coincidence that the world’s biggest data companies are spearheading the Metaverse revival. Data collection and monetarization will undoubtedly continue to be a critical revenue stream for organizations in the Metaverse; however, they must have the tools required to protect users.
Ultimately, new data points require new security measures. The challenge now is determining what these measures look like.
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