The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has expanded law enforcement to the metaverse. The international police organization announced on Thursday the first-ever metaverse designed for law enforcement agencies in member countries.
Interpol joins the metaverse
According to the announcement, the metaverse is provided via Interpol Secure Cloud. Using virtual reality headsets, registered users can digitally participate in immersive training courses on policing and investigation. Moreso, users can interact with other officers and also tour virtual facsimiles of Interpol’s headquarters in France.
The Metaverse has the potential to transform every aspect of our daily lives with enormous implications for law enforcement. But in order for police to understand the Metaverse, we need to experience it.
Interpol’s Executive Director of Technology and Innovation, Madan Oberoi.
By entering the metaverse, the international police organization looks to make both the virtual and real worlds safer for inhabitants. In accordance with this, Interpol also introduced an Expert Group on the metaverse to ensure the “new virtual world is secure by design.”
Interpol is concerned the virtual world could be soiled with crimes, including data theft, money laundering, financial fraud, etc., as more people transit to the metaverse. It could pose security challenges if law enforcement agencies are enlightened and equipped to have an effective response to crimes on the metaverse.
“By identifying these risks from the outset, we can work with stakeholders to shape the necessary governance frameworks and cut off future criminal markets before they are fully formed,” Oberoi added.
Is metaverse the next big thing?
Interpol’s foray into the metaverse comes as popular brands and companies are repositioning for opportunities in the virtual world. Earlier this year, retail giant Walmart filed for seven patents with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on offerings relating to nonfungible tokens and the metaverse.
More recently, Formula One (F1) filed for eight patents, revealing plans for nonfungible tokens, cryptocurrency, and metaverse services. Judging by the pace of global digitization and the number of related patent applications, one can easily believe that the metaverse is the next big thing to happen in the internet’s history.
