Mother says she was virtually groped by three male characters within seconds of entering Facebook's online world Metaverse

[PrincessNikla]

On a visit this month, the mother-of-four entered the ‘lobby’ – a virtual space serving as an entry point. But within seconds she was pursued by the men’s avatars, who groped her, subjected her to a stream of sexual innuendo and took screen shots of the attack for several minutes as she tried to flee.

She had to tear off her headset – which covers her eyes and allows her to see the metaverse as her avatar sees it – to end the ordeal.

While she could not actually feel the avatars’ hands, Mrs Patel has suffered from anxiety since the attack – and fears for the safety of her three teenage girls and other women in this lawless virtual world.

She said: ‘I entered the Horizon Venues metaverse as an avatar who looked just like me – middle-aged, blonde and dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved top.

‘The space you enter is a lobby, like a theatre foyer. Within 60 seconds, three male avatars – who all had male voices – came towards me and touched me inappropriately.

‘Before I knew what was happening, they were taking screen shots of them touching my avatar, both my upper and lower body. While doing that, they said things like, “Don’t pretend you don’t love it.”

‘I tried to move away but they followed me. I didn’t know who these people were or have the time to stay and investigate.’

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10455417/Mother-43-avatar-groped-three-male-characters-online-Metaverse.html

I haven't been on there, so cannot comment on how often this happens and if she was unlucky or if it happens a lot. I agree that the 'men' (if they were men as they were avatars) were completely out of order.

I totally agree it is horrible, but 'an ordeal' ? 'suffered from anxiety' since the attack? How hard would it be to just take off your headset to get out of it?

I'm very sorry for the pp's experience of being violently raped in a doorway aged 17. That's horrific.

With due respect to that experience, I have my own of rape and serious sexual assault (in a very large group of men) and I disagree that calling this sexual assault minimises "real" sexual assault, or that because it wasn't as bad as her experience that it doesn't count. I do agree, however, we need specific names for these things.

We have a crime called serious sexual assault by penetration which is basically rape, but without involvement of a penis. So "sexual assault in virtual reality" could be a way of naming this more accurately. Or perhaps sexual harassment in VR or serious sexual harassment in VR for more serious cases.

I'm not sure they'd be actual crimes though. Mind you, if putting up posters in Wales advocating for womens rights warrants getting locked up in a police cell, as it did for Jennifer Swaine, or tweets advocating womens rights can land you in court, as has also happened, I see no reason why virtual attacks couldn't be investigated by police.

What is needed though is for tech bros to decide that attacks on women and children aren't ok and yo start tweaking algorithms to a) try to prevent things occurring in the first place and b) use the algorithms to instantly ban anybody who does this to a female character more than once. They could have an openly zero tolerance if it, and they could be proactive instead of reactive, but the bottom line is that they don't care enough.

You can tell by their voice, and many are open about their age if you ask.
Don't get me wrong, some kids are great and are keen to just play a game with you (and sometimes teach you a thing or two), but they should always be monitored and it is apparent that a lot aren't.

It's using peoples real voices?! And FB logs everything but not the actual voices? Really? It seems that voice recognition software might be coming on in leaps and bounds very shortly..removing anonymity entirely. Which for kids could be far worse in the future that prospective unis and employers searching through public Facebook feeds filled with drunken photos like was the concern back in the Stone Age of my youth!

@daretodenim

I'm very sorry for the pp's experience of being violently raped in a doorway aged 17. That's horrific.

With due respect to that experience, I have my own of rape and serious sexual assault (in a very large group of men) and I disagree that calling this sexual assault minimises "real" sexual assault, or that because it wasn't as bad as her experience that it doesn't count. I do agree, however, we need specific names for these things.

We have a crime called serious sexual assault by penetration which is basically rape, but without involvement of a penis. So "sexual assault in virtual reality" could be a way of naming this more accurately. Or perhaps sexual harassment in VR or serious sexual harassment in VR for more serious cases.

I'm not sure they'd be actual crimes though. Mind you, if putting up posters in Wales advocating for womens rights warrants getting locked up in a police cell, as it did for Jennifer Swaine, or tweets advocating womens rights can land you in court, as has also happened, I see no reason why virtual attacks couldn't be investigated by police.

What is needed though is for tech bros to decide that attacks on women and children aren't ok and yo start tweaking algorithms to a) try to prevent things occurring in the first place and b) use the algorithms to instantly ban anybody who does this to a female character more than once. They could have an openly zero tolerance if it, and they could be proactive instead of reactive, but the bottom line is that they don't care enough.

People act like this is all new and is because of VR. Ever since you could play a game multiplayer with other real players, groping, "teabagging" (a well known one), sexual gestures... has been a thing. Shit talk also has (my teen neighbour is vile when he loses a game.. I can hear him through the walls). I can not equate someone getting violently raped in an alley by real people with real body parts, leaving real evidence, as the same as one online avatar "touching" another avatar. The pp who was raped could not just walk through her attackers, or teleport away. She could not take off a headset to make it stop, or press button to record it all. I am not surprised she is hurt by the comments on this thread.

It is virtual reality... virtual. Not real.

@daretodenim

You can tell by their voice, and many are open about their age if you ask. Don't get me wrong, some kids are great and are keen to just play a game with you (and sometimes teach you a thing or two), but they should always be monitored and it is apparent that a lot aren't.

It's using peoples real voices?! And FB logs everything but not the actual voices? Really? It seems that voice recognition software might be coming on in leaps and bounds very shortly..removing anonymity entirely. Which for kids could be far worse in the future that prospective unis and employers searching through public Facebook feeds filled with drunken photos like was the concern back in the Stone Age of my youth!

I am not sure what FB logs, but if you allow audio chat on a VR app, you have to accept that it is being recorded. The data collection by FB is the main reason that VR headsets are 13+.

@JuneWind

All those saying why didn’t she just remove the headset/turn it off blah blah blah.

Are we really happy with saying women cannot take part in these virtual experiences because idiot men will virtually assault them?

Whichever way you look at it, the pathetic and frankly creepy behaviour of these men is riding roughshod over the totally valid want of a woman to take part in this Metaverse experience.

Seriously, and that’s ok because we can just turn it off and get back to washing the dishes and sweeping the floors in the real world?

First priority should be get yourself to safety (ie turn it off) Second priority is once you are safe, you report it.

First priority should be get yourself to safety (ie turn it off)
Second priority is once you are safe, you report it

You re not in danger by staying. Record the feckers and report them. They then wake up to find their £300 VR headset is a paperweight.

@JuneWind

All those saying why didn’t she just remove the headset/turn it off blah blah blah.

Are we really happy with saying women cannot take part in these virtual experiences because idiot men will virtually assault them?

Whichever way you look at it, the pathetic and frankly creepy behaviour of these men is riding roughshod over the totally valid want of a woman to take part in this Metaverse experience.

Seriously, and that’s ok because we can just turn it off and get back to washing the dishes and sweeping the floors in the real world?

having just had a quick read of a gamers experiance of playing metaverse i think washing dishes and sweeping floors in the real world sounds more exciting , having watched the ytube vid and read the article it looks and sounds like a load of shite frankly , think i will stick to adopt me and star stable for now , wee bit more to do

A small but extremely unpleasant minority do, yes. Anyone working in law enforcement, prison & probation service and psychology knows this. The online and virtual world makes the rest of us more aware if it. I dont excuse it, I dont minimise it, I actively fight against it. There are people who are absolute horrors in this world and we should do all we can to reduce they threat they pose - they will still have those thoughts but we must do what we can to minimise the harm they can cause by their actions.

Sorry - was responding to Moaningturtle saying that men hate us.

@XenoBitch

First priority should be get yourself to safety (ie turn it off) Second priority is once you are safe, you report it

You re not in danger by staying. Record the feckers and report them. They then wake up to find their £300 VR headset is a paperweight.

I didnt think (before this thread) you would be in danger, but that doesnt really gel with the experiences mentioned above?

I didnt think (before this thread) you would be in danger, but that doesnt really gel with the experiences mentioned above?

You could stay in VR for hours and have several twatty blokes/kids "grope" you.. you are not in danger and you never were in danger.
No one can hurt you in VR! It is impossible, as it is not real.

I have been sexually assaulted in real life, and "groped" in VR. They are not the same at all. It is insulting to say they are the same.

For those saying “it’s not real, you can just turn it off”. How would you feel if you got a message right now in your Mn messages with a bloke saying vile stuff and with a dick pic attached?

A bit shook up probably.

Yeah you could report it, yeah you can decide never to come on the platform again.

But can you not see why it would upset you?

And for those suggesting that it’s minimising actual sexual assault. No it’s not the same, but it doesn’t mean it cannot be upsetting or traumatising. We all react differently to things.

I have been using VR for a long time. I know it is not real. Yes, people can give you verbal agro, but no one can physically hurt you. That is impossible.
Like a pp said, it is insulting to compare it to actual real physical sexual assault.

I find it fascinating that you take this stance, given you have been talking of your needle phobia for many months - and there is no harm that a tiny needle can actually do to you - the fear is of something not real there either.

It is true it can’t physically hurt you but then again you can’t just abuse people verbally online either

Thinking of the tweets to the footballer and arrest

@milkyaqua

I have been using VR for a long time. I know it is not real. Yes, people can give you verbal agro, but no one can physically hurt you. That is impossible. Like a pp said, it is insulting to compare it to actual real physical sexual assault.

I find it fascinating that you take this stance, given you have been talking of your needle phobia for many months - and there is no harm that a tiny needle can actually do to you - the fear is of something not real there either.

I think the fact you bring up something that is nothing do with this thread as a way to somehow discredit what I am saying says more about you than it does me. I use VR.. and I have a needle phobia. They have NOTHING to do with each other. What was the point of your comment?

@MarshaBradyo

It is true it can’t physically hurt you but then again you can’t just abuse people verbally online either

Thinking of the tweets to the footballer and arrest

Verbal abuse is not acceptable. Or even via text. The parents buying the VR headsets need to properly monitor what their kids are doing on them.

I think the fact you bring up something that is nothing do with this thread as a way to somehow discredit what I am saying says more about you than it does me.
I use VR.. and I have a needle phobia. They have NOTHING to do with each other. What was the point of your comment?

I am trying to point out to you exactly what I said. You seem to have no recognition of how something not real could cause a person to feel intense fear, panic, and shock. Yet you experience this yourself in another area of your life (as do I).

@Carolbaskinstiger

For those saying “it’s not real, you can just turn it off”. How would you feel if you got a message right now in your Mn messages with a bloke saying vile stuff and with a dick pic attached?

A bit shook up probably.

Yeah you could report it, yeah you can decide never to come on the platform again.

But can you not see why it would upset you?

And for those suggesting that it’s minimising actual sexual assault. No it’s not the same, but it doesn’t mean it cannot be upsetting or traumatising. We all react differently to things.

Truthfully? I would not be shaken up at all. I'd be a bit annoyed, but in no way at all shaken.

I may nc though to make sure that I can't be traced in rl but definitely not shaken (that's not an invitation though)

Xeno I agree re monitoring dc although I’m in no rush to buy VR headsets for anyone here really, they do like just online games though but I can see what they’re up to

What happens to players that do something that’s not acceptable? Do they get banned?

I think we’re still shaping what online looks like and Meta will need to watch it doesn’t become the worst pit online as it’s so easily done

@milkyaqua

I think the fact you bring up something that is nothing do with this thread as a way to somehow discredit what I am saying says more about you than it does me. I use VR.. and I have a needle phobia. They have NOTHING to do with each other. What was the point of your comment?

I am trying to point out to you exactly what I said. You seem to have no recognition of how something not real could cause a person to feel intense fear, panic, and shock. Yet you experience this yourself in another area of your life (as do I).

I hate to derail but... someone in a vaccine centre, pointing a needle at me, is real though.

I'm genuinely shocked by how many people on here know about and use virtual
Realty like this. Not the point of the thread so sorry to de-rail, but I didn't know this was a thing

Surely it’s a bit like trolling can affect people. It’s only words on a screen and not actually said to you, but it still upsets people.

@MarshaBradyo

Xeno I agree re monitoring dc although I’m in no rush to buy VR headsets for anyone here really, they do like just online games though but I can see what they’re up to

What happens to players that do something that’s not acceptable? Do they get banned?

I think we’re still shaping what online looks like and Meta will need to watch it doesn’t become the worst pit online as it’s so easily done

Anyone can report bad behaviour to mods. Meta/FB mods are more strict than others. They ban people for sounding underage. They also have moderators in the worlds to monitor things too. Other apps/games have their own systems.

If you report someone, you generally get feedback on the outcome. Like I said in a pp, some VR loving women have been banned because their kid acted like a shit in VR.

I hate to derail but... someone in a vaccine centre, pointing a needle at me, is real though.

Xeno, yes it is. But your fear is of an ultimately harmless object. Yet your fear (as in any phobia) is very real.

PP have claimed this woman is (over)reacting over something not real... They say the online experience can't be harmful.

I agree, If you can't grasp what I am saying, let's drop it.

@milkyaqua

I hate to derail but... someone in a vaccine centre, pointing a needle at me, is real though.

Xeno, yes it is. But your fear is of an ultimately harmless object. Yet your fear (as in any phobia) is very real.

PP have claimed this woman is (over)reacting over something not real... They say the online experience can't be harmful.

I agree, If you can't grasp what I am saying, let's drop it.

A needle to jab me is REAL. Someone getting groped in VR is not.

I am not sure what you need explaining about this. And pulling up info about me that is fuck all to do with this thread is pretty low.