Interpol announced the launch of the police metaverse

More and more often, government agencies are reporting their rapprochement with young people through the launch of metaverses in the field of NFT projects. This time we were surprised by the international police, who announced the launch of such a metaverse. Thus, the police will allow for immersive training for law enforcement officials around the world. How serious this kind of training will be is still unknown, but this method will be at least unusual.

The announcement of the opening of the metaverse for the international police took place within the framework of the unexpected session of the 90th General Assembly in New Delhi, the capital of India. Then the police announced that they would launch an unusual virtual world that would be launched specifically for law enforcement agencies.

Process demonstration at the 90th General Assembly in New Delhi, India. Photo: INTERPOL

In this world, registered users will be able to visit a virtual version of the headquarters, gaining some freedom in geographic movement in the real world. In addition, interaction with other agents and immersive training in forensic investigations will be done through avatars.

Interpol virtual headquarters in virtual Lyon. Photo: INTERPOL

It is also important to know that the metaverse will be launched with a certain security protocol in the secure cloud of Interpol. This method will allow them to avoid intruders and guarantee neutrality. During the 90th meeting in New Delhi, the delegates of the General Assembly were able to demonstrate the process of how everything will be implemented and showed a virtual visit to the premises in Lyon, France, using their metaverse avatars. The agents kept in touch in the same way as ordinary gamers through virtual reality headsets.

The Secretary General of Interpol commented on the creation of the metaverse:

For many, the metaverse is synonymous with the distant future, but the questions it raises have always driven Interpol, helping our member countries fight crime and making the world, both virtual and real, safer for the people who live there. We may be entering a new era, but our commitments remain the same.

The International Police also announced the creation of a Metaverse Expert Group in the future to ensure that law enforcement issues on the world stage are decided by people who are fully versed in this area.

Recently, metaverses are gaining more and more popularity among structures that go beyond gaming. Virtual worlds are already ceasing to be a prerogative for gamers and becoming something more for ordinary people, as well as a great way to establish communication between people located in different parts of the world. The Metaverse, according to many, is the next step in the development of the Internet along with Web 3.0 technology. The features of the latter can be called the fact that users will be able to interact with each other without the intrusion of third parties into their space. A simple example of the above is the collection of personal data for the provision of advertising services. Research firm Gartner reports that by 2026, 25% of people will spend at least one hour in the metaverse to work, study, shop, or socialize.

Interpol decided to enter the world of the metaverses, as crime does not sleep and has long since moved into the digital sphere, following global trends. If criminals find their victims in a virtual environment, then the international police began to ask the question “How can law enforcement protect the population and ensure the rule of law?” and now it seems they have found a way that will help them get an answer.

Visit to the virtual headquarters of the international police in Lyon. Photo: INTERPOL

Crime is already starting to develop in the Metaverses, as reported by the World Economic Forum, which is partnering with the International Police, Meta, Microsoft, and others on an initiative to define and manage the Metaverses. The main types of crimes include social engineering fraud, as well as violent extremism and disinformation.

As the metaverses improve and expand their capabilities, the number of crimes that can be committed will also grow. Interpol lists such things as child crime, data theft, money laundering, financial fraud, counterfeiting, extortion, phishing, sexual harassment, and others among the possible occurrences of illegal acts. Some of the above can create big problems for the international police, as they are not considered illegal in case of malicious acts in the virtual world.

Madan Oberoi, Executive Director of Technology and Innovation at Interpol, commented:

By identifying these risks early, we can work with others to create the necessary governance structures and nip future criminal markets in the bud. It is by discussing these issues now that we can intervene effectively.