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Dubai: How will crimes be investigated in the metaverse?

The virtual world presents both challenges and opportunities when it comes to examining a crime scene

The rapid advancement of technology has given rise to the metaverse, a virtual world where individuals interact through avatars in three-dimensional online environments. While the metaverse holds the promise of transforming various aspects of our lives, it also presents challenges, particularly in the realm of crime.

Law enforcement agencies are now grappling with the implications of this emerging technology and working to adapt their investigative techniques to combat metaverse-related crimes.

“Law enforcement agencies can leverage the opportunities presented by emerging technologies to investigate crimes in the metaverse,” said Madan Oberoi, Executive Director (Technology & Innovation), Interpol, at the 13th Regional Intellectual Property (IP) Crime Conference for the Middle East and North Africa, held in Dubai.

Brigadier General Dr. Jassim Al-Antali, Academic Dean of the Abu Dhabi Police College, stressed the importance of adapting existing laws to address the challenges posed by the metaverse. “Crime is developing with these technologies, and we must develop strategies to fight it along with it,” he said.

Scammers can exploit the advanced capabilities of the metaverse to deceive individuals. “Recently there was an incident in Hong Kong where an employee lost $25 million of his firm’s funds, after he was invited to an online meeting with the firm’s chief financial officer and other staff - except none of them were real,” said Kristian Too Andreasen, CEO of Kanda.

As the metaverse evolves, the concept of intellectual property also becomes more complex.

“We have never been in this position before, some companies now hold copyrights for projects entirely created by artificial intelligence,” Kristian said, emphasising the need to explore new legal and ethical considerations that require further regulation.

Investigating crimes in the metaverse presents unique challenges for law enforcement. Traditional forensic methods may not be enough due to virtual interactions, virtual currencies, and decentralised platforms. It requires a multidimensional approach that combines digital forensics, collaboration with tech companies, and international cooperation.

Endpoint forensics, focusing on individual devices, has limitations in the metaverse. Data and interactions are stored on third-party platforms, requiring cooperation and legal considerations.

To investigate metaverse crimes, specialised techniques are needed. This involves working with platform providers, analysing blockchain transactions, and using advanced data analytics to reconstruct events and identify perpetrators.

"Don’t worry, as new technologies and concepts emerge under different names, safety will remain a priority, and every system will still have an IP address," said Kristian.

One of the significant advantages of the metaverse in investigations is the ability to create virtual replicas of crime scenes. Law enforcement agencies can preserve and analyse these virtual crime scenes. Virtual crime scene visits by juries can also provide a deeper understanding of the context and details of a case, contributing to more informed deliberations.

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