The metaverse is supposed to be the future of the internet, where a new world is generated through virtual reality.
The thing is, people had little clue to what could happen in this virtual world, until the first cases of virtual sexual harassments and assaults that happened on Meta's virtual world Horizon Worlds.
Later, a researchers found that the metaverse is not at all safe for children due to the lack of safety and security feature.
Because many tech companies consider the metaverse as a promising next-generation of human-computer interaction where billions and billions of dollars can be made, many are racing too fast without knowing the consequences.
Meta realized this too late.
And Microsoft, seeing what its competitor is experiencing, is making some adjustments on its own.
AltspaceVR is a virtual meeting space that works across several major platforms.
The platform allows users to meet and interact online using avatars, in a way that is very similar to Meta's Horizon Worlds platform.
Microsoft, which acquired AltspaceVR in 2017, is making some changes to the platform to reduce the risk of inappropriate behavior and harassment.
First, the company is shutting down AltspaceVR's hosted social hubs, including the News and Entertainment Commons and Campfire.
Social hubs in AltspaceVR were designed "to help foster new friendships" and act as an entry point for users to get familiar with AltspaceVR itself. There users could explore the spaces freely, and speak openly to other AltspaceVR users in them.
However, that same freedom could be used to harass others, which is something Microsoft is trying to avoid.
Second, Microsoft is also turning on the Safety Bubble feature for AltspaceVR and makes it a default.
This feature creates a barrier to prevent other people from entering users' avatar’s personal space. This is similar to Meta's Horizon Worlds' 'Personal Boundary' feature.
Additionally, new attendees to events in the VR platform should be automatically muted.
"As platforms like AltspaceVR evolve, it is important that we look at existing experiences and evaluate whether they're adequately serving the needs of customers today and in the future," said Microsoft's Alex Kipman in a post on AltspaceVR's website.
"This includes helping people better connect with those who have shared common interests while also ensuring the spaces they access are safe from inappropriate behavior and harassment."
And lastly, Microsoft wants all users who use AltspaceVR to have a Microsoft account.
Microsoft requires an account for other services, such as Xbox and Windows. Not only that a Microsoft account can help Microsoft track the activity of AltspaceVR users, as it also allow Microsoft to integrate the VR platform with Microsoft Family Safety features, such as parents being able to limit access to certain types of content.
With Family Safety feature, adults can approve or limit children over 13 who might use the app.
And on top of that, the integration also allows Microsoft to increase moderation within AltspaceVR, and to improve the platform's content rating system.
The changes come as Meta and other platforms are combating with their own harassments issues.
The news also suggest that Microsoft is also actively working on creating its own VR-powered metaverse, as oppose to previous reports, which said that the company was more into mixed reality.