Source; Metamol Works – Shutterstock
- The future of the Internet is one of the most debated topics these days.
- The Metaverse is considered one of the most important inventions of the 21st century
From unbridled debates about the potential of a decentralized Web3 to speculation about how freedom of speech and expression is protected (and guaranteed) across the interconnected virtual worlds of the metaverse, the underlying technology is It continues to evolve at an astonishing speed.
Most people think the Metaverse will ultimately be the perfect platform for brands and businesses to expand their engagement, but one important aspect is often overlooked.
The Metaverse is more than a platform for immersing yourself in immersive, gamified virtual experiences. Instead, the Metaverse is a large-scale ecosystem designed to enable everyone to participate in new forms of representation unconstrained by real-world limitations implemented by centralized institutions.
The Metaverse will eventually move away from mass-attended events to ways of empowering individuals and users through the creative expression of building, importing, and engaging with games.
Web2 is slowly killing freedom of expression
The exponential growth of social media platforms and other user-generated content (UGC) ecosystems is one of the main drivers of Web2. But over the years, Web2 has evolved into an ecosystem where freedom of expression is dwindling ever more rapidly. As a result, the collective internet is now grappling with censorship, misinformation, and toxicity.
The Internet is meant to be open, transparent and inclusive, but ultimately it is under the control of governments, authorities and big technology companies that can manipulate the content that users see. . This has led to widespread harassment and abuse of vulnerable groups, as well as censorship and control over dissemination of information. In some countries, governments impose limits or even control social media networks entirely. Because of this, individuals cannot freely express their thoughts and ideas, or even speak up.
Not only does this undermine the foundations of free speech and collaboration—the foundation upon which the World Wide Web is built—but it also prevents the entire group from participating in the global dialogue.
Metaverse promises paradigm shift
So how does the Metaverse help users express themselves freely?
At the heart of the Metaverse are disruptive technologies such as blockchain, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 3D modeling, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Leaving augmented reality (XR) technologies such as AR and VR aside for a moment, the core spirit of the Metaverse revolves around blockchain technology. Concepts such as decentralization, privacy, inclusivity, and transparency come to mind when talking about blockchain technology.
Among them, decentralization is a key catalyst in the Metaverse’s attempt to provide a censorship-resistant ecosystem centered around freedom of expression. In addition to this, blockchain technology has introduced new technologies such as decentralized identifiers (DIDs) that give users full control over their personal data, who they share it with, how it shares it, and how much it shares. to ensure data security and privacy. .
The metaverse is a great place to express and express yourself, thanks to the underlying technology. There is no single definition of the metaverse, but the ultimate goal is to build a decentralized, community-focused, decentralized ecosystem where users can seamlessly create and interact with digital avatars.
In this context, it is important to understand that censorship is prevalent throughout the Web2 sphere, as it is centralized. In contrast, the Metaverse is structurally censor-resistant because it is not governed by a single agency. Multiple metaverses can be built on different decentralized blockchain networks, each interoperating with each other. Additionally, all the underlying data is stored in a decentralized network of nodes, making it very difficult for authorities to censor information or control the flow of information.
Additionally, the Metaverse can also be used to create “safe places” for vulnerable and oppressed groups.For example, you can create and use a metaverse for your community of choice NFTs As a gateway to ensure access only to a certain number of like-minded people. Within this metaverse, individuals are free to express themselves without fear of retaliation, including trolling, banning, disabling monetization, and cancellation. For example, Meta (formerly Facebook) recently video During Pride Month 2022, we showcased the potential of the Metaverse as a tool for increasing freedom of expression.
A metaverse as a service (MaaS) platform that: meta metaverse, building these ‘safe spaces’ has become more accessible and affordable. Without coding skills, you can use the drag-and-drop tools and built-in element libraries of such platforms allows anyone to build and customize a metaverse that represents their beliefs and opinions. Sub-metaverses can also be built within these metaverses to empower like-minded people to design themed games and interactive experiences that revolve around similar interests, tastes and beliefs.
Additionally, brands entering the metaverse must protect and promote freedom of expression. This is because, unlike Web2, the metaverse has no centralized control and no one-sided approach. Everything on the metaverse is as transparent as possible, so brands can’t censor content they don’t agree with or push content that serves their own interests.
In summary, the Metaverse is considered one of the most important inventions of the 21st century and can create an environment where everyone can enjoy freedom of expression. This freedom is considered one of humanity’s most important attributes and must be fought to defend it. Thankfully, the Metaverse has all the tools we need to restore our basic right of freedom of expression.
