兰德-新兴技术与风险分析-Metaverse关注针对和剥削儿童的犯罪（英）-2025.6_24页_623kb

The report examines the implications of the metaverse on crimes targeting and exploiting children. Key findings include:

• Technology and Risk: The metaverse, combining AI, immersive technologies, and digital enablers, is maturing rapidly but remains at an inflection point. Availability is increasing, posing moderate to high risks by the long-term horizon.

• Threats: Exploitation risks are amplified by child vulnerability, lack of supervision, and anonymity. Existing platforms like gaming environments are precursors to metaverse risks.

• Current Alternatives: Non-metaverse platforms are already used for child exploitation, so the metaverse's impact depends on whether it increases exposure. Attributing shares of harmful activities to metaverse vs. non-metaverse platforms is challenging.

• Legal and Ethical Issues: Clear legal frameworks for metaverse crimes are lacking, hindering investigations. Unlike physical crimes, virtual perpetratorship and evidence collection complicate prosecution.

• Mitigation: Research explores using AI to detect harmful content and safeguard children. Decentralized governance and international cooperation may help address legal gaps, but enforcement remains difficult.

• Future Questions: By 2035, the metaverse's potential to draw more users, data, and crimes demands proactive policy-making. The report concludes that child exploitation in immersive spaces is likely to grow but urges prioritizing preventive measures.