UAE proposes criminalising ‘murder’ in the metaverse

The UAE’s Minister for Artificial Intelligence, Omar Sultan al-Olama, has called for criminal liability for ‘serious offences’ in the metaverse. CNBC reports.

In his view, the realistic nature of any metaverse would enable people to be terrorised in ways that are currently impossible.

“If I send you a message on WhatsApp […] this could terrorise you, but is unlikely to lead to PTSD,” al-Olama said.

He added that the ‘murder’ of an avatar in a realistic virtual environment could trigger an aggressive response.

Al-Olama urged the International Telecommunication Union to discuss establishing international safety standards for the metaverse that users must follow regardless of jurisdiction. As an example, he cited the existing standards on the Internet that prevent the illegal trade in drugs and child pornography.

Meta’s chief product officer, Chris Cox, also spoke of the need to develop international standards for the metaverse.

“There may be something like a rating system, which we have for films, music and other types of content, so that parents or young people can have some sense of the rules of the environment they are about to enter,” he said.

As reported in May, Dubai’s cryptocurrency regulator announced the opening of its headquarters in The Sandbox.

In April, a former Meta employee warned about privacy threats in the metaverse.

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