It’s been about 15 years since Facebook went mainstream and the iPhone was released. In this short time social media and our pocket computers have become indispensable, even addicting. And now we have a new frontier on the horizon, the Metaverse. You’ve probably heard this trendy buzzword, but do you know what it is? Dr. Ibrahim “Abe” Baggili, a cybersecurity and forensics expert, shares his opinion, some content and security risks his team has found, what his biggest fear is, and more. Then our second guest, Jim Steyer, a civil rights attorney and the founder/CEO of Common Sense Media, offers a path forward. His global child advocacy and parental resource non-profit is devoted to child privacy, fighting for big tech regulations, and helping parents navigate the ever-evolving digital wild west.

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

Links of Interest:

Dr. Abe Baggili: Twitter

Connecticut Institute of Technology 

Hacking the Metaverse, LSU Media Center (11/08/22)

Baggili Recent Research: Rise of the Metaverse’s Immersive Virtual Reality Malware and the Man-in-the-Room Attack & Defenses

Information Commissioner’s Office (UK)

Jim Steyer: Twitter

Common Sense Media

Book: Which Side of History: How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives (2020)

Book: Talking Back to Facebook (2012)

Child Mind Institute

Metaverse in the News:

Oculus Founder Claims To Make VR Headset That Will Actually Kill You If You Die In A Game (Forbes, 11/8/22)

An Exploration of 12 Metaverse Use Cases (Ericsson, 6/30/22) 

Murder In The Metaverse: Crime or Creativity? (Medium, 5/28/22)

CREDITS: 

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.