UPDATE: Really! Raped in the Metaverse

[Transformer]

Is this worth reporting or should be considered as just crude online behavior?

Sexual harassment in the metaverse? Woman alleges rape in virtual world

A woman in the U.K. wrote in a December Medium blog post that she was sexually harassed and raped in Meta's virtual game Horizon Worlds.

www.usatoday.com

A woman in the U.K. wrote in a blog post on Medium that she experienced a real horror play out in the virtual game Horizon Worlds developed by Meta, formerly known as Facebook.

"Within 60 seconds of joining," she wrote in the post from December, "I was verbally and sexually harassed – 3-4 male avatars, with male voices, essentially, but virtually gang raped my avatar.'”

She details watching her avatar get sexually assaulted by a handful of male avatars, who took photos and sent her comments like "don’t pretend you didn’t love it.”

The woman is vice president of Metaverse Research for Kabuni Ventures, an immersive technology company. Meta released Horizon Worlds to everyone 18 years and older in the United States and Canada on Dec. 9 after an invite-only beta test a year ago.


UPDATE: Facebook parent Meta said it plans to add a personal boundary to avatars in its virtual worlds after a woman claimed her digital avatar was raped in one of the company's games.

In a statement published Friday, Meta said the boundary will create a nearly four-foot distance between a person's avatar and other avatars.

The update will roll out Friday across Meta's Horizon Worlds and Horizon Venues platforms.

"We believe Personal Boundary is a powerful example of how VR has the potential to help people interact comfortably," wrote Vivek Sharma, vice president of Horizon, in a statement. "It’s an important step, and there’s still much more work to be done."

 

[Black Ambrosia]

My first thought is why not log off before it gets this far but 60 seconds is a ridiculously short period of time and she might’ve been checking for some kind of restrictions or controls given her role in the industry.

This is sick. It’s definitely worth suing the game maker and possibly the players. Not for rape but emotional distress and harassment.

 

[Transformer]

My first thought is why not log off before it gets this far but 60 seconds is a ridiculously short period of time and she might’ve been checking for some kind of restrictions or controls given her role in the industry.

This is sick. It’s definitely worth suing the game maker and possibly the players. Not for rape but emotional distress and harassment.

I’m not a gamer, but aren’t folks shot, sliced and diced in virtually worlds all the time? How is this different? I hate to sound like a Rape Apologists but if it was too much…yes log-off.

 

[King of Sorrow]

Every now and again I think about the Twitter(?) thread that was posted here a while back asking women what they would do if there were no men for a day. Instead of benign, humourous things like burp in public it was just basic stuff like walk outside alone at night because they wouldn't have to fear for their safety.

To make sure we all know what this game looks like:


Yes, it's worth reporting. If there's a way of determining their real identity, to the police for whatever harassment laws you can make fit. And to Facebook/Meta so they can be suspended for whatever rule I'm sure they're breaking.

 

[Transformer]

I have a problem with her describing this as RAPE. Parts of the HUMAN BODY were not penetrated. This was crude behavior and nothing else.

Last week I read that “if a man ejaculates in you without your permission while having consensual intercourse this is sexual assault.”

 

[ladysaraii]

I have a problem with her describing this as RAPE. Parts of the HUMAN BODY was not penetrated. This was crude behavior and nothing else.

Last week I read that “if a man ejaculates in you without your permission while having consensual intercourse this is sexual assault.”

I want to make sure I'm reading you right....are you saying you disagree with this?

 

[dynamic1]

I have a problem with her describing this as RAPE. Parts of the HUMAN BODY was not penetrated. This was crude behavior and nothing else.

Last week I read that “if a man ejaculates in you without your permission while having consensual intercourse this is sexual assault.”

Removing a condom or pretending to put one on is sexual assault. The same goes for slipping it in anywhere else while a woman is in a compromising position.

 

[Transformer]

I want to make sure I'm reading you right....are you saying you disagree with this?

Yep. You are reading this right. I think coitus is part of intercourse and unless you have explicitly discussed the do’s and don’ts, I don’t consider it a violation. I still wouldn’t consider it sexual assault if the intercourse was consensual.

 

[Transformer]

Removing a condom or pretending to put one on is sexual assault. The same goes for slipping it in anywhere else while a woman is in a compromising position.

But we are talking about an animated figure—bits/bytes/and pixels. Who even has jurisdiction of the “rape” case.

 

[King of Sorrow]

I didn't get hung up on the term. I don't know if rape and assault are the same, legally. Verbal, physical, sexual assault are a thing, shouldn't there be something equivalent for behavior online?

These meta characters don't even have lower bodies they're just floating torsos, arms, and heads. But it sounds like these other people were simulating having sex with her when she was wasn't a willing participant. So they were simulating a rape. No, she doesn't have a court case for that charge but I'm sure she does for harassment, depending on the state. Rebranding aside, this is a Facebook product. Their demographic is young teens to the elderly. I read another woman reported being groped and others encouraging it. I cannot imagine telling any young girl in my life to just take off the goggles after experiencing what she described or A young man seeing seeing that and telling him that was nothing. She should have turned the game off. Yes, turn the game off and report it.

The single sentence in the second paragraph does sound ridiculous but it reminds me of an episode of the show An African City. It was a few years ago so my memory of the scene might be off but in it one of the main characters is having sex with a new boyfriend and I think he takes off the condom during the act. She repeatedly insists he put it back on and he ignores her and continues. The rest of the episode focused on her trying to act like she was ok with the situation and him even though she felt violated. Described in those details I can't see how it's not rape.

 

[ladysaraii]

Yep. You are reading this right. I think coitus is part of intercourse and unless you have explicitly discussed the do’s and don’ts, I don’t consider it a violation. I still wouldn’t consider it sexual assault if the intercourse was consensual.

Gotcha.

Yeah, I definitely disagree. I think what they are most likely referring to 'stealthing': the practice that some men have of wearing a condom and then slipping it off while the girl isn't looking to have raw sex. That to me is assault.

If I say that you need to wear a condom, then I am agreeing to have sex with you under those conditions. It's one thing for a condom to slip or rip accidentally, but if you purposefully remove the condom without my permission, I haven't agreed to that and it is indeed assault...or should be seen as such.

 

[Transformer]

Gotcha.

Yeah, I definitely disagree. I think what they are most likely referring to 'stealthing': the practice that some men have of wearing a condom and then slipping it off while the girl isn't looking to have raw sex. That to me is assault.

If I say that you need to wear a condom, then I am agreeing to have sex with you under those conditions. It's one thing for a condom to slip or rip accidentally, but if you purposefully remove the condom without my permission, I haven't agreed to that and it is indeed assault...or should be seen as such.

Nope. This young lady didn’t have a discussion with her hook-up, didn’t require him to use a condom, but was offended he reached coitus inside of her.

 

[nysister]

Many players use haptic suits. This can also be physically traumatic.

 

[Foxglove]

Given her position in the game it’s probably happened to other gamers but nobody would have listened if not for her high up position. Plenty of teens are on FB and for this to happen within 60 seconds you wouldn’t expect that everybody have the wherewithal in that moment especially if they were in shock. They need to figure out how this was allowable in the game period and disable it

 

[Foxglove]

Yep. You are reading this right. I think coitus is part of intercourse and unless you have explicitly discussed the do’s and don’ts, I don’t consider it a violation. I still wouldn’t consider it sexual assault if the intercourse was consensual.

If we consented to sex and I ask you to put on condom and you slip it off mid coitus it is assault. I didn’t consent to pregnancy, STDs and everything else that comes along with unprotected sex

 

[silverbuttons]

Her avatar got raped, she didn’t get raped. maybe she has trouble disconnecting her real life experience from the gaming avatar? Im not a gamer, so maybe I don’t understand.

i do think that the excessive vulgarity in gaming is unnecessary (sexual harassment, bullying etc) , but that’s why people love the digital world. No limits or rules.

 

[Black Ambrosia]

I feel like I need to play this game for context. I was thinking it was a traditional video game w/o rules before watching the video. Now I'm thinking it's just people interacting with each other (talking and choosing to collaborate if they want) so I'm not sure how this rape is occurring. I may look into this later.

 

[Transformer]

Her avatar got raped, she didn’t get raped. maybe she has trouble disconnecting her real life experience from the gaming avatar? Im not a gamer, so maybe I don’t understand.

i do think that the excessive vulgarity in gaming is unnecessary (sexual harassment, bullying etc) , but that’s why people love the digital world. No limits or rules.

I want to know if it was penetrative rape. So the next time, she should take a gun and shoot.

 

[Transformer]

I guess this was her “Me Too” moment. If this was so real for her, I wonder if she requested Plan B.

 

[Transformer]

Many players use haptic suits. This can also be physically traumatic.

Never knew this was a thing. The closest I’ve been to video game is buying Nintendo Switch games for my grandson, before that it was the Old Legend of Zelda on the PC.

 

[danniegirl]

when she was feeling uncomfortable with them could she not just remove herself and character from the situation or turn the game off...if she couldn't then that's the problem and it is a violation

 

[Lute]

Many players use haptic suits. This can also be physically traumatic.

ooooh...this changes things a bit..

Cyber Law reallly need to catch up.

 

[Transformer]

ooooh...this changes things a bit..

Cyber Law reallly need to catch up.

@nysister
Would another player know that you have on a haptic suit?

 

[Foxglove]

This is her own words from the Medium post:
Within 60 seconds of joining — I was verbally and sexually harassed — 3–4 male avatars, with male voices, essentially, but virtually gang raped my avatar and took photos — as I tried to get away they yelled — “don’t pretend you didn’t love it” and “go rub yourself off to the photo”.

A horrible experience that happened so fast and before I could even think about putting the safety barrier in place. I froze.

It was surreal. It was a nightmare.

She details watching her avatar get sexually assaulted by a handful of male avatars, who took photos and sent her comments like "don’t pretend you didn’t love it.”…

Virtual reality has essentially been designed so the mind and body can’t differentiate virtual/digital experiences from real. In some capacity, my physiological and psychological response was as though it happened in reality.

 

[nysister]

@nysister
Would another player know that you have on a haptic suit?

They might. I don't participate, but I know someone who is very big in this, and having a suit to really experience everything is something that many "players" do. It might depend on the scenario that they are in.

 

[Lute]

@nysister
Would another player know that you have on a haptic suit?

Not unless you tell them.
Gaming equipment info is not made public to the other player.

 

[NaturalEnigma]

Wow, this is really sad. They create a virtual world and women still can’t be safe. So now we need virtual mace when playing these games smh. They should ban those men from playing the game.

Back in the day I used to play the SIMS. At one point they created “The SIMS Online” where you could interact and talk to other people’s SIMS. I was like a preteen I believe and these two players started bullying me, beating up my SIM player and saying mean things to me. It felt personal, because you knew there was an actual person behind the avatar. I was like what the hell. I can’t imagine getting sexually assaulted virtually, holy cow I would be traumatized. That’s not cool at all and can be quite triggering depending on the person. Also it’s not right for other virtual players to witness that as well.

 

[Transformer]

I just read this incident happen a year ago when she was an Beta tester invitee. She initially reported being groped.


USA Today reported, the woman whom is vice president of metaverse Research for Kabuni Ventures, initially reported being “groped” in a virtual reality game late last year but has come forward to discuss her horrifying experience.

Nina Jane Patel, 43, revealed “Within 60 seconds of joining, I was verbally and sexually harassed. Three to four male avatars, with male voices, essentially, but virtually gang raped my avatar.”

She recalled trying to get away but the harassment and violation continued within the VR platform Horizon Worlds, created by Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook.
“As I tried to get away they yelled ‘don’t pretend you didn’t love it’ and ‘go rub yourself off to the photo.'”

Patel detailed watching her avatar get sexually assaulted after an invite-only beta test a year ago.

“A horrible experience that happened so fast and before I could even think about putting the safety barrier in place.”

According to The New York Post, Joe Osborne, a Meta spokesperson responded that they are “sorry to hear this happened” and the company will make “improvements” to ensure the safety of all.

“Horizon Venues should be safe, and we are committed to building it that way. We will continue to make improvements as we learn more about how people interact in these spaces, especially when it comes to helping people report things easily and reliably.’

 

[Transformer]

Meta to add 'Personal Boundary' to virtual worlds after woman alleges rape in metaverse

Facebook parent Meta said it plans to add a personal boundary to avatars in its virtual worlds after a woman claimed her digital avatar was raped.

www.usatoday.com

Facebook parent Meta said it plans to add a personal boundary to avatars in its virtual worlds after a woman claimed her digital avatar was raped in one of the company's games.

In a statement published Friday, Meta said the boundary will create a nearly four-foot distance between a person's avatar and other avatars.

The update will roll out Friday across Meta's Horizon Worlds and Horizon Venues platforms.

"We believe Personal Boundary is a powerful example of how VR has the potential to help people interact comfortably," wrote Vivek Sharma, vice president of Horizon, in a statement. "It’s an important step, and there’s still much more work to be done."

 

[lavaflow99]

Meta to add 'Personal Boundary' to virtual worlds after woman alleges rape in metaverse

Facebook parent Meta said it plans to add a personal boundary to avatars in its virtual worlds after a woman claimed her digital avatar was raped.

www.usatoday.com

Facebook parent Meta said it plans to add a personal boundary to avatars in its virtual worlds after a woman claimed her digital avatar was raped in one of the company's games.

In a statement published Friday, Meta said the boundary will create a nearly four-foot distance between a person's avatar and other avatars.

The update will roll out Friday across Meta's Horizon Worlds and Horizon Venues platforms.

"We believe Personal Boundary is a powerful example of how VR has the potential to help people interact comfortably," wrote Vivek Sharma, vice president of Horizon, in a statement. "It’s an important step, and there’s still much more work to be done."

How is this a solution? This is disturbing