7 in 10 users believe the Facebook metaverse will steal their data
2 min read
The young people that Facebook wants to reach with its metaverse project are not very interested in participating in the social network’s plans.
That’s because they believe that Facebook probably wants to own the data of users entering the metaverse and they are not willing to do so.
Users believe the Facebook metaverse will steal their data – survey
That’s what a survey that asked 1,000 American consumers interested in interacting in virtual worlds revealed.
An overwhelming 87% would rather enter metaverses based on decentralized blockchains such as Decentraland – built on ETH – than enter the Facebook metaverse.
The research was carried out by Advokate, a group founded by alumni of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). As the survey highlighted, Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) are the ones who most value decentralized metaverses.
After all, in these virtual worlds it is possible to buy digital land to build whatever you want. In addition, it is possible to earn tokens by playing games like Axie Infinity and, at the same time, acquire a digital governance currency to have a say in the fate of the project in which they interact. And that’s what they want.
Young people also point out that Facebook uses the data collected to sell advertising. Likewise, it shares data directly with other technology companies, including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Netflix.
Among the data that Facebook captures, there are even the biometrics of more than 1,000 million people. That is, approximately 15% of the world population.
A Facebook metaverse that will ostensibly consist of virtual reality experiences, accessible through the company’s Oculus Quest headsets, would present the opportunity to analyze all user activity.
Thus, the company could use the data collected to transform its virtual world into an environment that benefits its business partners, albeit at the expense of people’s privacy.
At the other end, a number of decentralized metaverse projects are offering unique experiences, allowing players to take control of the world they inhabit and help create.
One example is The Sandbox, which allows for a wide range of opportunities and is looking to put users in full control of the metaverse.
