Facebook’s metaverse ecosystem isn’t likely to allow porn videos or porn games or porn avatars. But this matter is a far deeper conundrum than Facebook or those who report this story understand. Because in the end, banning porn (or censoring anything) isn’t the simple fix big tech companies make it out as.
I’ll explain.
The metaverse is upon us and most likely, porn games will find their way into it whether Zuckerberg likes. What we first need to understand is that Zuckerberg doesn’t own the metaverse. The metaverse is here. It is beginning to thrive. And he’s leeching on it’s tailwind. There’s little doubt that he’ll leverage his current Facebook audience data in exchange for a more than suffice dent in metaverse competition. But he won’t be the only show in town.
In other words, people won’t need to sign off on Zuckerberg’s terms to access the metaverse.
And the idea that Zuck will promote censorship on his metaverse is already a running joke online. Just check out comedian Ryan Long’s “The World Mark Zuckerberg Wants You To Live In” video. The video has accumulated 200k+ views since its November launch.
Zuckerberg’s history of censoring content on Facebook is hardly debatable. Now, depending on your political persuasion, you may feel Facebook censors your side or the other, but it censors. And certainly, it does not allow porn or adult content.
The Metaverse and Porn: Did Zuckerberg Say He’ll Censor It?
There’s more evidence that Facebook will keep it’s version of the metaverse “clean” than there is that OJ …. well, you know.
If the glove fits, Zuck will censor it.
Andrew Bosworth, Facebook’s head of Virtual Reality, said that he’s looking to deploy “almost Disney levels of safety.”
Zuckerberg nor Facebook didn’t make any specific comments that institute rules against adult content in the metaverse. But clearly, that’s what is meant in Bosworth’s statement. Further, when we look at the Facebook history, we can’t help but assume the obvious.
Bosworth’s comment reignited rumblings about a pure metaverse experience. And for many, that sounds awful. But for some of those, they simply don’t understand how any of this works.
Zuckerberg Won’t Own The Metaverse (We Say It Again)
These days, Zuckerberg and Facebook C-Level language seems to imply that Facebook’s metaverse will be the only show in town. So whenever we read or hear statements about the Facebook metaverse, we tend to take it as the rule of meta-law.
And let’s be honest, it may be safe to assume Zuck knows this. Most people don’t understand the metaverse. They think Facebook invented it. So if Zuck says no porn games or adult content on the metaverse, people take that as a final decision.
But he’s not that empowered.
For starters, people tend to put up with Disney standards on Facebook because its merely a conduit for people to connect using text and images and sometimes video. And people can go all over the Internet to find whatever they desire.
But the metaverse won’t be a simple act of clicking and accessing. You’ll put on your Oculus headset (or some type of device), you’ll create a world, maybe buy a house, open a store, or get a dog. You may date in the metaverse. That’s quite a time investment.
People aren’t going to invest a ton of time and energy and labor into a virtual reality that doesn’t fit their standard. Sure, Facebook may influence an initial migration into their metaverse, but eventually, people will opt for metaverses where they can partake in what they want.
Further, if Facebook censors political views, that’ll certainly drive up to 50% of people away.
My point is, censorship and the metaverse couldn’t be a less compatible couple. And people are going to want to leverage their metaverse experiences for, let’s just say, more ambitious desires. Even Keanu Reeves admits he’d be down with fans having virtual sex with him. I mean, come on, Facebook can’t stop this.
The metaverse is a new frontier that no doubt will need policing. I’m confident all metaverse ecosystems will police for illegal content. But legal, consensual happenings? People are gonna go all in for that. And adult content always tends to infiltrate mainstream platforms. That’s because the people want their adult content even when they don’t admit it publicly.
If they can’t find it on Zuck’s metaverse version (and the won’t), they’ll just head to more sultry pastures. Count on it.