Chinese state-owned think tank flags national security risks of metaverse, citing potential political and social problems
- The metaverse will have implications for ‘political security’ and its development requires government regulation, state-run think tank says
- This buzzword became more popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people confined to their homes took to video games like Fortnite
A state-run think tank in China has warned of national security risks involved with the metaverse, as both Big Tech companies and start-ups join the gold rush in trying to make this concept of a shared virtual reality space a viable business model.
While the metaverse is still in its early stage of development, its “technological characteristics” and “development patterns” show that it has potential national security significance, according to a research note published on Saturday by the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, which is affiliated with China’s Ministry of State Security.
The metaverse refers to an immersive virtual world where digital representations of people can interact in many ways, including for play, commerce or social interaction, and is considered by many as the next iteration of the internet.
Potential risks involved with the metaverse include a range of cybersecurity risks and “technological hegemony,” where developing countries increasingly rely on developed countries’ technologies as the gap in the metaverse’s development expands, according to the think tank scholars.
It will also have deep implications for the political systems, economies and societies of various countries, they wrote. The metaverse, for instance, will become part of a country’s “political trend of thoughts” and its society and culture, and will exert “subtle influence” on a country’s political and cultural security.