The unexpected implications of new technologies frequently cause the most harm to marginalized groups of people. For instance, racial and gender prejudices exist in the algorithms that automatically decide who gets to see what content or how photographs are perceived. People who have more risk factors than those who only have one marginalized identity include people who are Black and disabled. But can we increase inclusivity in Metaverse anyhow?

I was therefore alarmed when Mark Zuckerberg described his vision for the metaverse, a system of virtual spaces in which numerous users can interact with one another and digital items, and claimed that it would affect every product the business develops. I think it’s crucial to carefully explore the values ingrained into this next-generation internet as a researcher who examines the intersections of race, technology, and democracy as well as a Black woman.

Already, issues are emerging. Racist and sexist harassment is becoming more prevalent in the pre-metaverse immersive environments of today. Avatars, the graphical personas people can build or purchase to represent themselves in virtual worlds, are priced differently based on the perceived race of the avatar.

I have a feeling Tuesday is going to bring much needed positive energy in honor of #InternationalWomensDay.

There will be many rooms/spaces, #NFT drops, celebrations, social good and commentary about the power of women/non binary in the metaverse.

I’m here for it! ✨ pic.twitter.com/p6JGzkUstb

— SketchPoetic (@sheiladarcey) March 7, 2022

People from marginalized communities must take the initiative in building the next version of the internet to ensure that it is inclusive and functional for everyone. To hold Big Tech responsible for serving the public interest, legislation with teeth will also be needed. Without them, the metaverse runs the risk of absorbing the drawbacks of modern social media, if not worsening them. 5 ways to improve inclusivity in Metaverse.

Hard facts versus utopian dreams

Early internet utopian visions frequently predicted that living online would be vastly different from living offline. People, for instance, thought that using the internet would allow them to ignore aspects of their identity, including racial, gender, and class inequalities. The internet is far from becoming racialized in practice.

Techno-utopias convey desired future visions, but new technology reality frequently falls short of these expectations. The internet has harmed society in unique ways, such as through the automated spread of propaganda on social media and bias in the algorithms that determine your online experience.

According to Zuckerberg, the metaverse will “unlock a lot of fantastic new experiences” by creating a more immersive, embodied internet. However unrealistic this vision may be, it is likely that, like earlier iterations of the internet and social media, the metaverse will have far-reaching effects that will change how people interact socially, travel, learn, work, and play. This is a vision for a future way of life, not simply for the internet.

Will everyone experience the same effects, or will there be differences? History indicates that the response is no.

No technology is neutral.

Technologies that are widely utilized frequently assume that white male identities and bodies are the norms. Facial recognition software works worse on women and much more so on women with darker looks, according to research by MIT computer scientist Joy Buolomwini. Other investigations have supported this. The “coded gaze,” or the priorities, preferences, and prejudices of those who influence technology, is described by Joy Buolomwini of MIT.

Sadly, racism and technology frequently coexist. Even though race is not a category for machine learning algorithms, whiteness is still the default in these technologies. Black and Latino voters were the targets of online disinformation tactics during the 2020 election cycle, as well as black female politicians and journalists who have been subjected to disproportionately abusive or troubling comments.

I’m worried about the metaverse because of how race and technology have interacted in the past. Does Zuckerberg’s description of the metaverse as an embodied version of the internet imply that those who are already marginalized would suffer additional types of harm?

The link between Facebook and Black people

The overall connection between racism and technology is merely a portion of the tale. On its Facebook network, Meta has a bad rapport with Black users, particularly Black women.

Our girl @ciara is partnering with Meta to help Black women-owned businesses ahead of Black History Month. ✊🏾🎉

The 10 small businesses will get 6 weeks of marketing training from Meta and $100,000 worth of ad credits and creative support.

Full story: https://t.co/lvtLQPRunl pic.twitter.com/5wJ6cxTmWU

— blkwomenshealth (@blkwomenshealth) January 29, 2022

Reporters from ProPublica discovered in 2016 that advertisers on Facebook’s ad network may block certain demographics from viewing their ads based on the users’ race or what Facebook referred to as an “ethnic affinity.” Facebook does not ask its users about their race, but individuals are given an “ethnic affinity” based on their participation on the website, such as which sites and posts they like. This option was met with a lot of backlashes.

In other words, Facebook was effectively racially profiling its users based on their activities and interests on its platform, opening the door for marketers to discriminate against people based on their race. Since then, Facebook has changed its ad targeting categories such that “ethnic affinities” are no longer included.

However, race proxies, which combine user interests to infer races, still allow advertisers to target individuals based on their presumptive race. For instance, an advertiser may target you with advertising for goods it wants to market to Black people if it learns from Facebook data that you have shown interest in African American culture and the BET Awards.

Even worse, Facebook regularly removes comments made by Black women criticizing racism and misogyny. Ironically, Black women’s criticisms of racism and sexism are being removed from Facebook, a practise known as “being zucked,” for purportedly breaking the social media platform’s rules against hate speech. This is a little example of a bigger pattern in which Black women are penalized for using online forums to express their concerns and seek justice.

A recent Washington Post article claimed that the company opted to do nothing despite Facebook’s knowledge that its algorithm was disproportionately impacting Black users.

A metaverse that is democratically accountable

The host of National Public Radio’s Audie Cornish questioned Vishal Shah, vice president of the metaverse at Meta, in an interview: “If you can’t handle the comments on Instagram, how can you handle the T-shirt with hate speech on it in the metaverse? How will you respond to the potential hate gathering in the metaverse? Similar to this, how can Black people speak out against racism and misogyny in the metaverse if they are punished for doing so online?

Design justice and social media regulation are necessary to ensure that the metaverse is inclusive and supports democratic values rather than poses a threat to democracy.

The goal of design justice is to prevent the continuation of current inequities by placing those who lack power in society at the centre of the design process. It also entails beginning with values and guiding principles for design.

In order to address the issues with social media today and, at the very least, to prevent them from creating and controlling the next generation of the internet, regulation of Big Tech is essential. Federal rules have protected social media platforms from being held accountable for the posts and activities of their users. This indicates that they have the authority to monitor their website, not the obligation.

Metaverse for the Non-Binary

Creating a metaverse that is inclusive of non-binary people involves several key elements. One important aspect is providing a wide range of options for the customization of avatars, including non-binary gender identities and physical characteristics. This could include options for body shapes, facial features, and clothing that are not limited to traditional binary gender norms.

Another important aspect is fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect within the metaverse through education and enforcement of community guidelines that prohibit discrimination and harassment based on gender or any other characteristic. This could include creating safe spaces and support groups for non-binary individuals and training moderators and community leaders on best practices for addressing and preventing discrimination.

Finally, it’s important to actively seek out and include non-binary individuals in the development and governance of the metaverse. This could include creating advisory boards or focus groups made up of non-binary individuals and providing opportunities for non-binary individuals to become community leaders and content creators.

In summary, inclusivity in Metaverse for non-binary people requires providing a diverse range of options for avatars, fostering a culture of inclusivity, and actively seeking out and including non-binary individuals in the development and governance of the metaverse.