Meta is rolling out a feature called Personal Boundary in its Horizon Worlds and Horizon Venues virtual reality spaces. Each avatar will have a bubble with a radius of two virtual feet, so they won’t be able to come within around four feet of each other. Users won't be able to disable this. So fist bumping is still possible if you stretch out your arms, hugging is a no-no.
A beta-tester had said previously that her avatar was groped. The new measures would make this impossible. Of course, it makes adult entertainment also rather difficult, contrary to places such as Second Life where sexuality is considered part of virtual life.
Meta also reported about progress in building an AI-supercomputer 
which might be used in virtual environments for massive language translation but also moderation.
Reports about assault in virtual worlds are not new of course. In 1993 Julian Dibbell reported serious incidents in the text-based multiplayer world of LambdaMOO.
Looking to the future, philosopher David Chalmers says in his book Reality+ that authorities will need to catch up. In the future virtual worlds will go mainstream and stuff such as theft and assault will be as serious as what happens in the physical world.
Now already even claims about wrongdoing in virtual worlds may have an impact on stock prices, as Roblox recently experienced .
Also Microsoft is worried about the security in its version of the metaverse. It removes AltSpaceVR's social hubs and it tightens up moderation.
The **boundaries** between physical and virtual are shifting and governance debates will become necessary. Also, important questions are being raised about **identity** and avatars.
Source: TechCrunch , own reporting, also see TNW and a regulatory filing by Meta .This is an earlier FT-article about the challenges of moderation .
TAGS: VIRTUALWORLDS PRIVACY CRIME SEXUALITY