Picture this—entering a universe where the only boundaries are those of your creativity. That’s the lure of the metaverse – a limitless virtual landscape full of potential. Imagine being able to enjoy a concert experience with friends from across the globe, in real time. Create a digital business dynasty or virtually fit outfits before they show up on your doorstep—all from the comfort of your living room. As a graphic novelist and metaverse enthusiast, I've seen firsthand the incredible potential for creativity and connection this space offers. Below this glitzy and glam exterior lurks a toxic underbelly that threatens to bring it all crashing down.

Online Anarchy Looms Large Indeed?

The metaverse, just as it has been, is an anonymous Wild West. Consider it the metaverse – but worse – with all the dangers exponentially intensified. In the absence of verifiable identities, malicious actors have free rein. Harassment, fraud and even identity theft are quickly becoming the order of the day. How could you trust a virtual physician when there’s no way to know whether or not they’re really a person? How do you invest in or develop digital real estate when anyone can easily claim ownership?

This isn’t a dystopian vision of the future, it’s a reality today. People are losing life-altering sums of money to scams, enduring traumatic harassment and their virtual identities being stolen. This culture of impunity is making the metaverse a lawless land for wrongdoers. The question then becomes: Are we willing to let the metaverse devolve into a digital cesspool?

Digital ID: The Unexpected Savior?

The solution, surprisingly, lies in something that may seem counterintuitive in a space built on anonymity: Digital ID. I know what you're thinking: "Digital ID? That sounds like something out of a surveillance state!" Hear me out. A digital ID designed with privacy and equity in mind wouldn’t require the government to track your every move. It’s all just about proving you are who you claim to be.

Think of it like this: you have a driver's license in the real world. The federal government doesn’t currently track every single place you drive. All of this data can assist you in proving your age when purchasing alcohol or verifying your identity when opening a bank account. In the metaverse, a digital ID could play a similar role, establishing a new level of trust that isn’t there today.

Similarly, Visa’s own research backs this up, pointing to the transformative potential of digital ID. This is more than a security issue — identity determines access to critical digital services and drives financial inclusion. Today, billions of people around the world — including 1 billion adults without ID — live without a digital identity. This continuing failure effectively locks them out of the increasingly lucrative digital economy. Digital ID holds out the promise of inclusion, providing a way to enroll in everything from banking services to social safety net programs.

Ethical Concerns: Tread Carefully Here

Making digital ID a reality is not without its challenges. Privacy, surveillance, and bias are real and valid issues. We have to be super super conscientious to build systems that are equitable, explainable, and accountable. No one should want a metaverse where everything they do is monitored and commodified. Make users feel empowered by allowing them to decide what happens to their data. In doing so, they avoid over-sharing information when they don’t need to.

Imagine a digital ID that allows you to quickly prove you’re over 21. It protects your detailed age and exact address! Or one that simply checks that you’re qualified to be a financial planner while omitting any information about your real work experience. Here’s why we need a more sophisticated approach to help make sure that digital ID empowers people. It shouldn’t be a weapon for repression.

Ukraine, India: Proof That It Works

Take Ukraine’s Diia app, a digital ID that has simplified the process of delivering government services and giving power back to the people. India’s Aadhaar system has successfully provided digital identities to more than a billion people. This nimbleness has allowed government to make DBT innovations possible and has tremendously advanced financial inclusion.

  • Ukraine's Diia App: Streamlined access to government services.
  • India's Aadhaar System: Provided digital identities to over a billion people.
  • JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile): Facilitated direct benefit transfers.
  • Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY): Promoted financial inclusion.

These aren’t just theoretical ideas, these are on-the-ground real world examples of how digital ID can uplift and improve societies around the world. Among all of these, Aadhaar is truly the global outlier. It demonstrates the potential of a citizen-centric digital ID system to empower citizens, simplify governance and build digital economies.

Time To Build A Better Metaverse

As the conception of the metaverse is just beginning, we are in a rare position to help direct its course. We have the option to succumb to anarchy. Or we can do more by joining forces to put safety and trust at the center of our digital world. Digital ID — if done responsibly and ethically — is the main ingredient to unlock the metaverse’s full potential.

Now is the moment for developers, AR policymakers, and AR users to work together and put ethics and safety first. So let’s create a metaverse that is exciting and cutting-edge, while being equitable and inclusive. The future of the metaverse is at stake. Let's not let fear paralyze us. Let’s rise to the occasion and create a more equitable digital future, hand in hand.