In recent years, the term "Metaverse" has become increasingly popular in the technology world, as it represents what is expected to be the next generation of the internet, changing the way humans interact with the digital world.
The Metaverse is not just a virtual environment for entertainment or gaming. It is an integrated system that enables work, education, commerce, and even the building of virtual communities with their own rules and regulations. Yet, among these remarkable opportunities, a fundamental question arises: Will the Metaverse be a safe virtual space, or will it instead become an unrestrained digital battlefield?
An expert in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity explained that the Metaverse is a three-dimensional space that allows users to communicate through digital characters (avatars) using technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence. He added that tech giants such as Meta (Facebook’s parent company), Microsoft, and Google are investing billions of dollars in its development, as it represents a natural continuation of the era of the internet and smartphones.
From an economic perspective, reports such as Bloomberg and PwC predict that the Metaverse economy will reach $5 trillion by 2030, with the emergence of entirely new jobs and digital markets alongside the real-world economy. However, despite all this momentum, the Metaverse could quickly turn into a "cyber battlefield."
Several real-life examples illustrate this: First, Meta’s controversial initiatives. When Meta announced its project to build the Horizon Worlds game, early reports surfaced of users experiencing virtual harassment and digital impersonation, exposing the fact that even in the experimental environment of the augmented universe, abuse and crimes still occur, and advanced protection tools are necessary.
Second, the exploitation of virtual games: Platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite have become unofficial venues for illegal money transfers and money laundering through the sale of digital items or virtual currencies. European security agencies tracked cases of children being exploited within these games for purposes of recruitment or extortion.
The cybersecurity and AI expert noted that targeted cyberattacks are among the greatest risks. In 2022, cybersecurity researchers revealed that hacker groups used virtual reality environments on the Second Life platform to practice fraud scenarios, simulating social situations that helped them refine their social engineering techniques.
In addition, with the expansion of cryptocurrencies and their integration into the Metaverse, large-scale scams have emerged, such as the theft of NFT wallets worth more than $600 million in an attack on the Axie Infinity platform.
Experts in the field, as well as public officials, have called for the implementation of advanced cybersecurity technologies such as encryption, multi-layered authentication systems, and AI algorithms to monitor suspicious behavior in these spaces. They also urged the creation of a digital culture and awareness that would allow users to identify risks in order to safely use the platforms, along with the building of a strong cyber infrastructure based on secure data centers and resilient communication networks capable of withstanding advanced attacks.
The Metaverse may be a virtual space that opens the door to a new era of economic and social opportunities. However, it is also likely to become a digital battlefield, where the interests of states, corporations, and cybercriminals intersect. The difference between the two scenarios will not be determined by technology alone, but by humanity’s ability to build an action plan that balances freedom of innovation with security requirements.