3 Ways How Virtual Dating in the Metaverse Could Go Wrong

One such development is virtual dating in the metaverse. The concept is already in exploration, with developers trying to figure out how to make it work and become as interactive and exciting as the current online dating space. However, since the metaverse is still at its initial stages of development, there is a lot of uncertainty and non-regulation. With this in mind, there are several ways that virtual dating could go wrong;

1. Catfishing is a Big Issue

The rise of the metaverse allowed users to communicate their body language and eliminate the need for first dates in person. This creates an issue because it's not yet clear if people will be able to alter their appearance while dating in the metaverse. With the current setup, avatars are customizable to whatever the user wants. Creating cartoon-like virtual characters for online dating services on the metaverse makes it harder to judge who is interested in you. It leads to more secrecy in the dating world compared to the traditional ways, as it would make it harder for people to trust each other.

According to experts, people with self-esteem issues might use the metaverse to expose their distorted version of themselves, affecting how they perceive themselves in the real world. It can be hard to confirm who a person is when it comes to virtual dating due to some of the scams that have been reported, however, with the help of a metaverse identity solution feature, users can easily verify their identities and prevent them from creating multiple accounts. Still, developers are yet to create and implement the feature.

2. Harassment in the metaverse

Although platforms have various measures to protect users, they aren't always able to prevent people from being exposed to harmful content. This fact is especially true in countries where there are no explicit protections. A woman recently told the New York Times that she was sexually harassed while wearing a haptic vest, which is a type of virtual feedback used on Metaverse users. Due to the incident, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he would introduce the use of full haptic suits to users in the future that will detect inappropriate touches.

In addition, according to a study, people who use the VRChat app for smartphones may encounter hundreds of harassment issues during a single day. This issue is especially problematic since kids may be sharing the virtual world with adults. In addition, VR is a complex world. Developers are still developing tools that will allow them to identify and block bad actors. These tools, as they say, will have consequences for those who violate their terms of service.

3. Dating scams are Costly

The BBC reported that dating scams rose by over 60% in 2019. Over £7.9 million was lost to these types of scams, with only around £500,000 going back to the victims. The number of people who have been victims of online dating fraud is alarming. It shows that criminals are still finding new ways to scam people, even using metaverse crypto. 

Unfortunately, despite the regulation in place, the metaverse can still be used by criminals to carry out their fraud. According to security experts, there are still ways that fraudsters can steal money and personal data from users. One common type that can happen on the metaverse is a social engineering scam involving luring victims to give up their personal information. Social engineering attacks can use a person's hometown, full name, and social media profiles to gather information about them. It allows attackers to identify them and target them with more effective attacks.

Conclusion

The metaverse is the next generation of dating that's ideal for people who are in long-distance relationships. It eliminates the need for face-to-face interactions and makes people feel like they're part of a real community. Hence, the metaverse will succeed as more time passes and it grows. 

In the future, virtual dating applications will try to make healthy encounters more than just the usual fundamental interactions of rating and swiping to add things we can do in the metaverse. Instead of merely looking for dates, they will aim to make them more meaningful by introducing features that allow users to interact with each other in various ways. However, even in the dating world, we cannot ignore the dangers of these interactions. Hence, developer companies have to address this beforehand to ensure that the metaverse is safe for its users.