The next iteration of the internet is being developed by businesses all over the world. The current web could be completely replaced by the "metaverse" or "web3." But how can you avoid making the same errors that the modern internet has?
Digital Revolution.
Are we about to witness a new digital revolution? Those in attendance at a conference hosted by the digital learning platform in Berlin claim that we are.
In the upcoming decade, new technologies may completely transform the web as we currently know it, both in terms of its structure and appearance. Tech idealists anticipate that blockchain technology will contribute to the development of a new, decentralized internet architecture. According to the theory, consumers would have control over their data, privacy, and online creations in this new "web3" era rather than a small number of tech oligopolies.
Portuguese author Shermin Voshmgir observed, "This reinvents how the back end of the internet is put up." It represents a total paradigm shift. At the same time, businesses all across the world are developing technology that will completely change how we use the internet.
The "metaverse," a three-dimensional version of the internet where users can work, shop, or meet up with friends, is what they envision people doing in the future rather than scrolling through websites or apps. It is a place where physical and virtual realities collide. Constanze Osei, who oversees the social and innovation policy initiatives for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at US tech giant Meta, formerly known as Facebook, predicted that "there will be a walk-in internet, so to speak."
Digital rights activists warn that when companies like hers invest billions in creating the next generation of the internet, they will eventually seek to recoup their investment, which could undermine efforts to give people more control over their digital lives. Argentinian lawyer and expert on digital liberties Micaela Mantegna warned that "the metaverse could turn into the most intrusive surveillance system ever constructed."