The Metaverse

This book explores whether the Metaverse—understood here as a persistent, immersive, and widely utilized, virtual world—will be the next chapter in the evolution of cyberspace, and what that means for people, business, and society. The Metaverse. Depending on your perspective, it's the future of the Internet, the next generation of video games, or "a deeply uncomfortable, worse version of Zoom." In many ways, the confusion, overpromising, and hype are reminiscent of how the Internet itself was envisioned in earlier epochs. A diverse range of firms are investing in Metaverse tech, causing a digital gold rush. There is plausibly a substantial first-mover advantage to be won, which Forbes has estimated to be north of a $1 trillion revenue opportunity. But there have also been questions raised about the utility of the Metaverse, with many firms, including Disney and Meta itself, pivoting to AI even as others like Apple release new products doubling down on spatial computing. In the trademark style of the What Everyone Needs to Know® series, this book provides an understanding of what the Metaverse is, how it is different from virtual and augmented reality, and the emerging Metaverse economy. It looks at media, politics, speech, crime and security, and identity and privacy in the Metaverse. It explores how governance and law operate—or may operate—in the Metaverse, the rights of bots, and our Meta future. The stakes are high, and confusion abounds, particularly in the public, making The Metaverse a perfect addition to the What Everyone Needs to Know® series.