Misogyny is in Facebook’s DNA and little seems to have changed over the years – metaverse has already become another place that is hostile to women
www.theguardian.com
Last month a beta tester told Meta that she had been randomly groped by a stranger on Horizon Worlds; she later posted her experience in the Horizon Worlds beta testing group on Facebook.
“Sexual harassment is no joke on the regular internet, but being in VR adds another layer that makes the event more intense,” she wrote. “Not only was I groped last night, but there were other people there who supported this behaviour.…”
Meta’s response to this? A bit of casual victim-blaming. An internal review concluded that the beta tester should have used a tool called “Safe Zone” that users can activate if they feel threatened. The tool essentially sticks you in a protective bubble and stops people from interacting with you until you come out of the bubble. It’s the digital equivalent of telling women that if they don’t want to get harassed while walking down the street then they should just stay at home. It’s old-fashioned misogyny repackaged for the digital age.