Deciphering the Metaverse | The TechTank Podcast

The Metaverse is an immersive environment that combines virtual and augmented realities and allows people to integrate their digital and physical spaces. There is a lot of hype surrounding this concept and not everyone uses the term in the same way, so it is important to determine what the Metaverse is and what issues it raises for consumers and businesses. Already, there are questions about privacy, security, virtual content moderation, the sale of virtual goods, and data ownership so unpacking this notion is critical.

To discuss these important questions, host Darrell West is joined by two distinguished experts. Tom Wheeler is a visiting fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and author of a forthcoming book “Techlash”. Katherine Cross is a Ph.D. student in the Information School at the University of Washington, where she writes about video games, social media, and online harassment.

You can listen to the episode and subscribe to the TechTank podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Acast.

TechTank is a biweekly podcast from The Brookings Institution exploring the most consequential technology issues of our time. From artificial intelligence and racial bias in algorithms, to Big Tech, the future of work, and the digital divide, TechTank takes abstract ideas and makes them accessible. Moderators Dr. Nicol Turner Lee and Darrell West speak with leading technology experts and policymakers to share new data, ideas, and policy solutions to address the challenges of our new digital world.