Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, is researching how to police the metaverse, a digital world envisioned as an alternative to the real world. Jurgen Stock, the secretary general of Interpol, believes that the organization must be prepared for this task in order to avoid being left behind by the metaverse and its associated technology.
When it comes to enforcing the law in the metaverse, police organizations face challenges. However, Jurgen Stock, the secretary general of the International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol, appears to believe that the organization must be prepared to take action on cybercrime.
The organization is currently preparing to expand its operations to metaverse platforms, which are already in use by some groups to commit crimes. In an interview with the BBC, Stock stated:
"Criminals are sophisticated and professional in very quickly adapting to any new technological tool that is available to commit crime. We need to sufficiently respond to that. Sometimes lawmakers, police, and our societies are running a little bit behind."
Among the current metaverse crimes are verbal harassment, assaults, and others such as ransomware, counterfeiting, money laundering, and financial fraud. However, some of these remain in the legal gray areas.
Thefts in the Metaverse
According to Dr. Madan Oberoi, Interpol's executive director of technology and innovation, one of the most difficult problems the organization is currently facing is determining whether an action on the metaverse constitutes a crime or not. Recognizing that there are still difficulties in this regard, he stated:
"If you look at the definitions of these crimes in physical space, and you try to apply it in the metaverse, there is a difficulty. We don’t know whether we can call them a crime or not, but those threats are definitely there, so those issues are yet to be resolved."
For Oberoi, one thing is certain: to police the metaverse, Interpol needs to have contact and be present on metaverse platforms. This is why the organization already has its own location in the metaverse, which was inaugurated during its 90th General Assembly in New Delhi in October.
Interpol's metaverse platform also serves another purpose, enabling it to offer courses online to members of the force in other countries and directly practice the acquired skills in the metaverse.
