Channel 4’s Dispatches uncovered evidence of Metaverse users bragging about being attracted to “little girls between the ages of nine and 12” and joking about rape and racism in the virtual reality world.
An investigation has revealed that sexually explicit comments and threats were made minutes after a Channel 4 journalist covertly invaded Mark Zuckerberg’s 3D community.
Yinka Bokinni posed as both a 22-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl as part of an investigation that will air tonight.
Using the most popular VR headset, Meta’s own Oculus Quest, which has sold eight million, she tried out the two most popular apps on the store – VRChat and Rec Room.
However, within minutes of using both apps, she was surrounded by other users making sexually explicit comments while also witnessing the simulation of sexual acts while simply walking around — including between users who appeared to be minors.
A video clip showed the undercover reporter being threatened by a cat avatar, who urged her to breed with him and then said, “Who’s going to stop me?” as he repeatedly approached her.
Another saw her enter an “adult room” where someone said, “Do you like being sucked by underage?” and then simulated a sex act.
A third clip revealed a user saying he likes “little girls between the ages of nine and 12.”
In another scene, a user was seen using racist language and saying, “You are black. Imagine you were black – go back to the fields, cotton pickers.’
A video clip showed the undercover reporter being threatened by a cat avatar, who urged her to reproduce with him, then said, “Who’s going to stop me?”
Another saw her enter an “adult room” where someone said, “Do you like being sucked by underage?” and then simulated a sex act
A third clip revealed a user saying that he “likes little girls between the ages of nine and 12.”
Dispatch journalist Yinka Bokinni posed as both a 22-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl as part of an investigation airing tonight
What is the “Metaverse”?
Led by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, the “Metaverse” is a series of virtual spaces where you can play, work, and connect with other people who aren’t in the same physical space as you.
User avatars can explore the online world and meet, interact and visit a rapidly growing network of virtual places such as cities, landscapes or cafes.
Landowners can also use their virtual spaces to create experiences for others to enjoy.
Believing that the virtual world is the future, Zuckerberg launched the Oculus Quest headset, now called the Meta Quest.
Facebook explained: “You can meet up with friends, work, play, study, shop, create and much more.
“It’s not necessarily about spending more time online — it’s about making the time you spend online more meaningful.”
While leading the charge with the Metaverse, Facebook explained that it’s not a single product that a company can build alone.
“Just like the internet, the Metaverse exists regardless of whether Facebook is there or not,” it added.
“And it’s not built overnight. Many of these products will only be fully realized in the next 10-15 years.’
Led by the Facebook founder, the Metaverse is a series of virtual spaces where you can play, work, and connect with other people who aren’t in the same physical space as you.
User avatars can explore the online world and meet, interact and visit a rapidly growing network of virtual places such as cities, landscapes or cafes.
But the new technology has been accused of a lack of safety and moderation, with mum Nina Jane Patel claiming she was sexually assaulted less than a minute after entering the online virtual world earlier this year.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate also found earlier that users, including minors, are “exposed to abusive behavior every seven minutes.”
Now a Channel 4 probe has raised further concerns about the safety of the virtual world.
Recalling her experience, Yinka said, “There was a lot of sexual harassment. It’s really intimidating.
“It’s shocking how much racist, sexist and homophobic slurs are floating around. Just because you put on a headset, suddenly you are no longer responsible for what you say.
“It’s not okay to do it in a classroom, in a workplace, on public transport, or on the street, so why is it okay to do it in the Metaverse?”
VRChat, which is not made by Meta but can be downloaded from the store, was previously criticized after a BBC investigation found grooming, sexual material, racial slurs and rape threats were rife on the app.
And Channel 4’s investigation has now found one user using racial slurs on the apps, while a second avatar said: “I just like little girls aged nine to 12, that’s my thing.”
Ms Bokinni also encountered sexually threatening behavior from what appeared to be teenagers, while other users appeared to be discussing sexual acts with children – also in the same room.
It comes after a similar investigation by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that users, including minors, are “exposed to abusive behavior every seven minutes”.
Humans who enter the metaverse controlled by Mark Zuckerberg’s meta can gain “godlike powers” to create their own virtual world by bringing it into being
The investigation has found that sexually explicit comments and threats were made minutes after a Channel 4 journalist went undercover in the Metaverse
Mark Zuckerberg spoke via video at Into the Metaverse in Austin, Texas last month
This included being exposed to sexual graphic content, bullying, sexual harassment and the abuse of others.
The investigation also found “threats of violence and content that satirizes the 9/11 terrorist attacks.”
Andy Burrows, head of online child safety policy at NSPCC, told Channel 4: “Kids go into these spaces expecting it to be safe. And what you see are spaces designed to appeal to children, to attract children, but then not even a superficial attempt at protection or moderation. They have an online wild west.”
It follows similar comments from TV presenter and online safety activist Carol Vorderman last week, who warned of the dangers of the nascent “metaverse” to young children as she called for new laws to protect users.
The 61-year-old presenter also likened the immersive technology to the “Wild West” as she warned of the dangers of personal hygiene and how it affects the brain.
An earlier BBC investigation found that children as young as 13 have been going to virtual strip clubs (pictured) and witnessed simulated sex
The BBC investigation found that the apps allow youngsters to “undress and do unspeakable things” or participate in “erotic role-playing games” (pictured).
Tory MP Damian Collins also warned that “we should really be scared” of the Metaverse, adding that problems in the real world “could exist in a way that they are totally uncontrolled in the virtual world”.
In January, mum Nina Jane Patel watched and listened in horror through a virtual reality headset as her avatar was aggressively groped by three realistic male characters in an ongoing assault.
She had to rip off her headset – which covers her eyes and allows her to see the metaverse as her avatar sees it – to end the ordeal.
Although she couldn’t really feel the avatars’ hands, Ms Patel has suffered from anxiety since the attack – and fears for the safety of her three teenage girls and other women in this lawless virtual world.
A spokesperson for Meta said: “We do not own these apps and they can be used on phones, laptops and other VR devices, not just Quest.
“We encourage other companies to choose the identity system we’ve created because our system enables people to more effectively block or mute abusive users across all virtual worlds. We cannot take action against customers on devices we do not own.
“We provide tools that allow people to ban other users from their experiences and report issues across the Quest platform so they have more control over their VR experiences.
“We don’t allow anyone under the age of 13 to create Quest accounts, and we design some experiences for those 18 and older only.
“We have a range of VR parental control tools to help parents and carers who allow teens 13+ to use the headset to monitor their usage, limit and ensure the time they spend on it that they take breaks.”
According to Rec Room, users can limit the voices they hear on the app to “friends, favorite friends, their current party, or none.”
VRChat said: “Underage users are not allowed an account. If they lie about their age and are spotted on our platform, they will be banned immediately.
‘User safety is VRChat’s top priority and we have provided users with a number of tools to help them protect themselves.’