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In a white paper released by Interpol’s Metaverse Expert Group, the international law enforcement organization is exploring the potential of metaverse platforms as valuable tools for law enforcement training and operations such as crime scene preservation and analysis.
The report, developed by the working group established in October 2022, provides insights into various use cases for the virtual reality platform that could aid law enforcement agencies worldwide.
In the white paper, experts draw attention to the metaverse’s potential role in immersive training for frontline policing, allowing different agencies to coordinate and respond more effectively to various situations.
According to the Interpol expert team, Metaverse environments can be essential tools for recreating crime scenes and sharing information and planning tactics, which can enhance situational awareness.
One innovative application highlighted in the report is the creation of virtual replicas of crime scenes within metaverse platforms.
For example, investigators can access and analyze these crime scenes indefinitely, facilitating extensive cross-examination of evidence and potentially enabling virtual visits by juries or judges to better understand case contexts and details.
Augmented, virtual and extended reality tools were identified as significant resources for improving investigations and law enforcement.
Experts believe such tools leverage spatial perception and cognition to create immersive 3D workspaces, offering investigators unique methods for addressing intricate knowledge challenges.
However, the report also delves into the challenges associated with metaverse or cybercrime investigations, including nonfungible token fraud, cyber-physical attacks, digital identity theft, grooming of children, stalking, sexual harassment and financial crimes.
In the UK, police chiefs have even called for laws to protect children from virtual reality criminals, putting pressure on tech companies to maintain safe platforms for users.
Interpol also addressed the growing concern of Metacrime as more individuals shift into virtual environments daily.
To address these challenges, Interpol suggested a holistic approach involving multi-stakeholder engagement and cross-border collaboration.
The report further advocates for the establishment of virtual police stations within the metaverse to tackle online crimes, offering services such as reporting crimes, filing complaints and hosting virtual community meetings.
In addition, the report underlines the need for law enforcement to adapt to the metaverse’s evolving nature, requiring training for first responders, forensic specialists and the broader criminal justice system.
According to experts, the metaverse may also change how investigators access data, requiring them to learn how to use virtual reality headsets and haptic devices to recover evidence from metaverse infrastructure and acquire data from third-party service providers.
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