Publications need to be careful on how they report on metaverse crimes (Opinion)

On 1 January, the Daily Mail exclusively revealed that the British Police probed into a first-of-its-kind crime committed in a virtual world. What followed was an influx of articles across the UK which tapped into the story and dissected it into chunks of newsworthy bites, from the overstretched police force to the validity of metaverse-related crimes. But alongside these exaggerated pieces were also paragraphs of measured and interesting insights, which we should celebrate.

First, all of this spins out of a real hurt that a child had experienced while in a virtual world. Regardless of what happens, my thoughts are with them and their family, and I hope for swift justice. Second, I have been unable to verify whether it is actually the first of its kind, though activities such as sexual harassment have happened several times in the past.

Look beyond the headlines, and there are nuanced parts alongside somewhat sensationalised sections. Nearly all questioned the validity of metaverse-related crimes, which I fear will lead to trivialising people being harmed. But within the same breath, most quoted police sources also recommend how metaverse crimes need to be addressed. 

At the same time, I believe we can be better when reporting on new cases like these over time. The fact we are questioning the validity of metaverse crimes at all is something we should move on from. It also risks trivialising what happens to victims who experience pain. I want it to be considered with the due course it deserves, and I believe the media have a role to play here.

How was it reported on?

Let’s take this case as an example, and pluck out some themes. Much of the reporting spun from the Daily Mail exclusive with some light additional commentary on the side:

• Platform: No article mentions which platform it occurred on because that was not shared by the police. Instead, the articles focused on Meta’s Horizon Worlds, linking it to previous cases of harassment. It’s worth noting that the platform where the attack has taken place has not been divulged.

• Syndication: Most publications parrot the Daily Mail article, then add their own lines and articles on previous events (such as the Mirror, Sun and Evening Standard). Sites like UNILAD went a little beyond to get further comment from Meta.

• Focus: Many articles like The Week and LBC focus on whether the police should focus on virtual cases when forces are already overstretched on real-life ones.

Not all articles provided a weak overview of the case. The Week outlined the current challenges of the law, such as the difficulties of geographic jurisdiction for prosecution or the legal identity of avatars, while the Metro discusses how laws may need to catch up. I was particularly impressed by Inews, who provided a deeper explainer on virtual crimes. Some of it is sensationalised, but between the sensationalism are good bits of information that validate the importance of investigating.

Still, there are weaknesses in the reporting, from indelicate headlines to bare-bones analysis. What I hope for in future cases is fewer discussions on whether it is worth investigating; I worry that this line of thought falsely questions the validity of the crime, when the harm is very much real. Jayne Butler, CEO of charity Rape Crisis, hit the nail on the head in an interview with Vogue: “There is a tendency to minimise online abuse or think of it as less damaging than that committed offline, but there is no sliding scale for sexual violence, and any form of it can be traumatising for victims and survivors.”

One counter is that its triviality is linked to how new the type of crime is. These types of investigations are new, which is why they may generate more trivial articles which question their importance. That’s relatively common for new and emerging areas. Even so, that supposed triviality will be dispelled with time, which I hope will be replaced by a sense of serious investigation.

Questioning the validity of metaverse crimes

Ultimately, I want to avoid a scenario where people question the validity of these crimes. Alongside Rape Crisis, the top brass from policing emphasised that work needs to be done; crimes in virtual spaces could be treated as criminal offenses, according to the boss of the National Crime Agency.

Criticising its legitimacy is common online. But most typically dismiss the psychological harm of people transgressing into personal spaces. I’ve seen it in my circles, and victims I have spoken to mention its dismissal as well. Let’s be clear: there is plenty of evidence to show that crimes in virtual spaces have similar psychological harms to real-life equivalents. We have plenty of qualitative data on this, with people being harassed on platforms from Altspace to VRChat. But as I noted in early 2023, there is a gap in quantitative data which still needs to be plugged.

The dismissive attitude has persisted since last year, and I wish for it to be dispelled with time. One step in the right direction comes from nuanced reporting. If it is reported with the care and attention it deserves, then it can only assist with the development of relevant laws.

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