Researcher's avatar raped in the metaverse

[omnifax]

A researcher's avatar was sexually assaulted on a metaverse platform owned by Meta, making her the latest victim of sexual abuse on Meta's platforms, watchdog says

According to SumOfUs' account, users invited the researcher to a private party on Horizon World earlier this month. Users in the same room then asked her to disable a setting that prevented others from getting within 4 feet of her.

The report linked to a video that the group says shows what happened to the researcher's avatar from her perspective. In the video, a male avatar is seen getting very close to her, while another male avatar stands nearby, watching. A bottle of what appears to be alcohol is then passed between the two avatars, per the 28-second video. Two male voices are heard making lewd comments in the video.

In a part of the video SumOfUs opted not to share but describe, the researcher "was led into a private room at a party where she was raped by a user who kept telling her to turn around so he could do it from behind while users outside the window could see — all while another user in the room watched and passed around a vodka bottle," per the report.


This metaverse stuff in still in alpha and users already committing virtual felonies.

 

[Leasy]

They all got the Indian avatars in the meta verse I see. No women is safe

 

[Alix217]

Get this cyber #MeToo shyt outta here

 

[Spliff]

 

[Mike809]

I wish I could see this video.

 

[Fiji Water]

So you have to disable a setting to get raped? Isn't that consent? Why not just turn the setting back on if you getting metaphorically raped?

 

[It's been real]

They all got the Indian avatars in the meta verse I see. No women is safe

 

[Ridge Forrester]

So...she couldn't turn the thing off?

 

[humminbird]

you can't teleport the avatar?

 

[Matt504]

It would seem to me that being asked to disable a feature that enforces a distance between you and other players and agreeing to that request is a form of consent. As a handful of us here know, consent is fluid and a "yes" right now can become a "no" moments later but I believe these researchers are entering these spaces looking for these exact outcomes.

 

[Neo. The Only. The One.]

For the last time, avatars don't even have lower bodies in the multiverse! You are literally a moving torso!

These idiots are so excited to cry rape that they don't realize that idiocy like this is what makes folks not take rape seriously when it really does happen to somebody. Cause clowns like this make a farce out of it.

 

[Luke Cage]

 

[CarbonBraddock]

let me guess, she's 'traumatized' by this right? soon we'll need to pass laws to prosecute people who virtually rape folks so the snowflakes don't get their feelings hurt

 

[Edub]

I read this earlier this week….shyt is a horrible example of the depravity of some humans, and the pathetic desire for sex, damn

 

[Edub]

So...she couldn't turn the thing off?

She was a researcher ….I guess researching, she definitely got some subject material