Major corporations like Meta (formerly Facebook) and Amazon are spending billions to bring the Metaverse to consumers. They envision a world where virtual and augmented reality will touch all aspects of our lives, from shopping and socializing to business and education. 

It sounds great, or does it? What are the real dangers when the Metaverse becomes a larger part of our society?

Social media platforms already track your behavior online –– what you click, who you talk to, what you buy, even what you read. In the metaverse, they’ll track much much more –– where you go, what you do, who you’re with, where you look, how long your gaze lingers.

When this level of surveillance transfers to the Metaverse, walking down a street, whether real with augmented reality layers or virtual, users prey victim to surveillance advertising.

It’s not the technology that’s dangerous. It’s the prospect that large corporations will be able to use the Metaverse to manipulate our experiences on behalf of the highest bidder, persuading us in ways that will make social media seem quaint.

It’s not too late to stop it. Augmented reality pioneer Louis Rosenberg explains what we need to do to regulate the Metaverse and protect all of us from corporate surveillance and manipulation.