Regulators in Russia are looking into the possibility of new restrictions on virtual reality (VR), saying they are worried that it could enable illegal activity, while acknowledging that the “metaverse” also offers new possibilities for human interaction.
The Scientific Technical Center of Roskomnadzor, the federal agency responsible for monitoring mass media, released a report on Wednesday, assessing what it sees as the potential risks and possibilities of VR spaces where people are able to interact across national borders.
The term “metaverse,” which comes out of science fiction, refers to 3D virtual worlds focused on human social connection, and it has increasingly been the focus of tech companies, including the US company Facebook, which recently rebranded as Meta.