The topic of our time; privacy. It is a next-level intrusion when a metaverse ecosystem is literally looking over your shoulder. Not only is your digital twin sharing PII (Personally Identifiable Information), but the motion capture hardware you’re working on captures body movement. The video from “In the Loop” brings some of the emerging privacy concerns to light.
It’s a whole new world of intrusion when the information to third parties goes beyond static data. Your movement, your posture, and activities are up for auction. Imagine you are test driving a new family car. Your virtual test drive turns into a drag race with your spouse... Your real mobile phone pops an alert from your car insurance app. Your rates have increased…
Identity theft takes on a whole new meaning. Imagine meeting an avatar that looks like someone you know or with digital credentials that appear legitimate.
In the US, privacy laws have no federal mandate on the horizon (my estimate is five years and a new administration), and each state piecemealing its own policies. Metaverses like blockchain are borderless. The context and location will drive behaviors making it more difficult and complex for regulators.
Over the past decade, I’ve written articles about how you can evolve your privacy and security. Arguably I was the first to advocate using social media to secure your identity. “Stop Worrying About Privacy, Start Caring About Identity” https://www.wired.com/insights/2013/07/stop-worrying-about-privacy-and-start-caring-about-identity/
1. Define it: Live your values. What core values do you or your business present when interacting with others?
2. Make it authentic: Your voice and online presence must be real and not a marketing construct. Social Identity is not a mask you don when you go out into the online world. It must be the true identity of how you relate to others. However, that’s not the same as exposing every aspect of your business or personal life.
3. Practice social listening: Once you’ve established an online presence you can see and hear the echoes of what others say. You cannot control it but you can respond in a thoughtful manner. In terms of “hard” data, the consumer credit agencies (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian) allow you to review your personal credit scores. Do so regularly as you manage the financial component of your identity. Businesses have similar resources through other means.
4. Identify your network: It’s often said, we are known by the company we keep. Data is being collected 360 degrees from whom you connect directly to secondary and tertiary relationships. Sites such as LinkedIn provide visual views of the network you have created for yourself. Reviewing it will give you an idea of what others see when they research you. See “LinkedIn Enters the CRM Arena Donning a Hoodie”
5. Manage it. Don’t try to control it: When our Privacy or Security is threatened there is an instinctive reaction to go on the defensive. Be thoughtful in your approach. Releasing “good” information lets people know the accurate information about you. You want an identity that is authentic and something they believe that “you” would do or say.
6. Curate your data privacy: Decide how and when you want to release information. I have a Facebook friend, from High School, whose activities I know more about than many of my co-workers. I haven’t seen her in 30 years but know her whereabouts and activities since she “checks in” and posts about six times an hour. Be aware that every time you download or login, you leave a footprint. There are some ways to turn off tracking but only in a limited fashion. Remember it’s up to you to manage your privacy; no one can do it for you.
The key takeaway is that no one can do it, legislate it, or regulate it for you. You ultimately have agency over your actions and how you manage privacy and identity. I’ve outlined some steps and will continue to work with regulators on the larger privacy issues.
What are your expectations about privacy in the metaverse? Have an interesting solution? Write to me :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghh_1vm4P6w
