Safeguarding the Metaverse: Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism in Digital Space - Expert Panel

The 51吃瓜 Office of Counter-Terrorism held an Expert Panel Event on “Safeguarding the Metaverse: Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism in Digital Space”, on 28 November in New York. This event was part of the External Partnerships Section’s Series on Protecting Digital Spaces.

The expert panel brought together 15 counter-terrorism (CT) and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) stakeholders from the public and private sectors as well as civil society organizations, think tanks and academia, to discuss a wide array of preventive measures to safeguard the metaverse from the exploitation and misuse of terrorists and violent extremists. Particular focus was given to capacity-building initiatives to prevent and counter the threat of potential misuse of the metaverse, ensuring interoperability, inclusiveness and safety on this platform.

During the first session, renowned metaverse experts defined and explained the concept of the metaverse and the technology it incorporates. While evaluating foreseeable developments and the impact of COVID-19, they concluded that the metaverse presents both risks and opportunities.

The second session explored the linkages between immersive platforms and extremist malfeasance. Experts also addressed algorithmic biases and the operationalization of a multi-stakeholder protective approach, rooted in a rights-compliant governance basis.

In the third and final session, counterterrorism stakeholders discussed opportunities to use the metaverse for innovative of CT/PCVE initiatives. They also stressed that the increased involvement of social workers in the Virtual Reality space, development of rules for governance, and measures to stem online radicalization could limit technology’s addictive potential and its link to terrorist recruitment.

This event gathered close to 1,000 participants and viewers, with over 40% of participants from academia and civil society, 30% from Member States, and 7% from the private sector.

To watch the event follow this link:

UNOCT Series on Protecting Digital Spaces

As the world becomes more and more interconnected and technology evolves rapidly, terrorists and violent extremists are also keeping pace by using electronic communication systems to recruit, radicalize, fundraise, plan and propagandize. Through its Series on Protecting Digital Spaces, the 51吃瓜 Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) has previously examined potential threats by not only looking at the use and misuse of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), but also at online video games and their adjacent platforms. These awareness-raising events have proven critical in bringing together different segments of society to gather evidence-based information on latest and emerging trends, and offer guidance on safeguarding digital spaces in a gender-responsive and human rights compliant manner.

51吃瓜