Ushering in a new era of freedom of expression via the Metaverse & Blockchain technology

• The future of the internet is among the most discussed topics these days.
• The metaverse is seen as one of the most important inventions of the 21st century

Between unhinged discussions about the possibilities of the decentralized Web3 to speculation about how free speech and expression will be protected (and guaranteed) across interconnected virtual worlds in the metaverse, the underlying technology continues to evolve at breakneck speed.

While most people believe that the metaverse will eventually become the optimal platform for brands and businesses to increase their engagement, one important aspect is often overlooked.

Metaverse is more than a platform where you indulge in immersive and gamified virtual experiences. Instead, the metaverse is a massive ecosystem designed to allow everyone to engage in a new form of expression unfettered by the real-world restrictions implemented by centralized bodies.

Metaverses will eventually transition to ways to empower individuals and users through the expression of creativity in building, importing, and engaging with games the way they want, and not because of a mass-attended event.

Web2 is gradually killing freedom of expression

The exponential growth of social media platforms and other user-generated content (UGC) ecosystems are among the key drivers of Web2. Nevertheless, over the years Web2 has developed into an ecosystem where freedom of expression is diminishing faster than ever. As a result, the collective internet now struggles with censorship, misinformation and toxicity.

The internet – meant to be open, transparent and inclusive – has gradually come under the control of governments, authorities and large technology companies that can manipulate the content that users see. This has resulted in extensive harassment and assault against vulnerable groups, as well as censorship and control of the information that is disseminated. In some countries, governments impose restrictions on social media networks or control them entirely. Because of this, individuals are unable to freely express their thoughts and ideas or even raise their voice.

This has not only harmed the fundamentals of free speech and cooperation, the pillars on which the World Wide Web rests, but it has also cut off entire groups from participating in global dialogues.

The Metaverse promises a paradigm shift

So how can the metaverse help users express themselves freely?

At the heart of the metaverse we have disruptive technologies such as blockchain, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 3D modeling and artificial intelligence (AI).

Leaving Extended Reality (XR) technologies such as AR and VR for a moment, the core ethos of the metaverse revolves around blockchain technology. When we talk about blockchain technology, terms like decentralization, privacy, inclusion and transparency come to mind.

Among them, decentralization is the key catalyst based on which the metaverse intends to offer a censorship-resistant ecosystem where freedom of expression is at the center. On top of this, blockchain technology also ensures data security and privacy by using new technologies such as decentralized identifiers (DIDs) that allow users to fully control their personal data, who they share it with, how they share it and how much of it they share . .

The metaverse, thanks to the underlying technology, is the perfect place for representation and self-expression. While there is no single definition of the metaverse, the ultimate goal is to build a community-focused, distributed and decentralized ecosystem where users can seamlessly create digital avatars and interact.

In this context, it is important to understand that censorship is widespread throughout the Web2 area because it is highly centralized. In contrast, the metaverse is architecturally censorship-resistant because no single authority controls it. Multiple metaverses can be built on top of different decentralized blockchain networks, each of which can interact with each other. Moreover, all the underlying data is stored over a decentralized network of nodes, making it very difficult for authorities to censor information or control the flow of information.

Furthermore, the metaverse can also be used to create “safe spaces” for vulnerable and oppressed groups. For example, one can create a metaverse for a selected community and use NFTs as a gateway to ensure that only a certain number of like-minded people have access to it. Within this metaverse, every individual can freely express themselves, without fear of reprisal, be it trolling, banning, demonetization or cancellation. For example, Meta (formerly Facebook) recently shared one video during Pride Month 2022 which shows the potential of the metaverse as a tool for increased freedom of expression.

With metaverse-as-a-service (MaaS) platforms such as MetaMetaverse, building these “safe spaces” has become more accessible and affordable. Even without coding skills, anyone can use such platforms’ drag-and-drop tools and built-in element libraries to build and customize their metaverses that represent their beliefs and opinions. They can even build sub-metaverses within these metaverses to empower more like-minded people and design themed games and interactive experiences that revolve around similar interests, preferences and beliefs.

In addition, brands entering the metaverse must also ensure that they protect and promote freedom of expression because, unlike Web2, the metaverse has no centralized control, and thus no biased approach. Since everything on the metaverse is as transparent as it gets, brands can’t censor content they don’t agree with or push content that serves their interests.

To summarize, the metaverse is seen as one of the most important inventions of the 21st century for its ability to create an environment where free speech is possible for all. This freedom has been seen as one of humanity’s most essential qualities, which we should fight to protect. Fortunately, the metaverse has all the tools we need to reclaim our basic right to free speech.