ONLINE CRIMES IN DIGITAL SIMULATED WORLDS: TRENDS AND COUNTERMEASURES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33184/vest-law-bsu-2026.31.19Keywords:
metaverse, digital simulated spaces, crimes, Interpol, Europol, terrorist activities, security, human rightsAbstract
At the present stage, the world community task is to find the optimal balance in the “metaverse” use: it is actively implemented, experimented with, emphasizing its relevance and potential impact on a global scale. The widespread adoption of such technologies is not just a trend, but a global movement shaping the future of human interaction and development. However, technological advances have raised serious concerns about virtual environment and the features of their real-world investigations. Special attention should be paid to crimes in digital simulated spaces (“metaverse crimes”), which requires a new look at the institutional and functional aspects of the domestic legal system, taking into account the specifics of their commission. Purpose: to identify the main trends in online crime in digitally simulated worlds and to develop countermeasures. Methods: empirical methods of comparison, description, interpretation; theoretical methods of formal and dialectical logic; private scientific methods: legal-dogmatic and others. Results: the study revealed ambivalent predictions about the “metaverse”. On the one hand, the “metaverse” revolutionizes social structures by reducing physical obstacles and creating a hyperspace-time irrational reality where users can participate in social interactions, professional activities and recreational activities without being limited by time and physical distance. While technology can facilitate meaningful and productive exchange, it also carries potential risks such as social division, inequality, or interference with privacy. The authors cite finding the optimal balance between ensuring security and non-interference in private life as the main condition for the further development of the “metaverse”.
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