Ipsos research commissioned by Insurtech Wallife has highlighted how and how much risk is perceived on the web, particularly in the coming Metaverse
The Metaverse, indeed, the Metaverses, are being presented (and in part probably will be) as a goldmine of opportunities, for companies and for individuals who will enter these – at the moment not very populated – worlds, virtual yes, but increasingly interconnected with real life.
But, like every coin, this too has its downside: the risks are many and around the corner. And above all, those that are easily imaginable, and therefore somehow manageable, are also accompanied by still unknown ones, because the rules and dynamics of the Metaverse, in the words of Maria Enrica Angelone Ceo of Wallife, “leave room for the emergence of unknown criticalities.” And that is why the insurtech that offers insurance solutions to protect people from new risks arising from technological innovation and scientific progress commissioned Ipsos to conduct research on Web behaviors and perceived exposure to risks.
Wallife, explained founder Fabio Sbianchi, focuses its energies and R&D funds mainly in three ambits, “Genetics, Biometrics, Biohacking, trying to identify and mitigate new risks arising from scientific and technological progress, from the protection of one’s digital identity to the defense of the individual’s genetic heritage.”
According to Ipsos, more than one in two Italians (56 percent), when accessing the Metaverse, feel exposed to risks related to the theft of personal data, the development of physical problems, and economic fraud and scams, and recognize the existence of at least one risk related to this new digital environment. 56% fear experiencing personal data theft or economic fraud, or developing vision problems, nausea, or epilepsy. 53% are afraid that frequenting the Metaverse will reduce their ability to interact and socialize with others or lead to the onset of anxiety or phobias. 49% are afraid of the possibility of incurring mental illnesses such as depression or addiction. Among connoisseurs and heavy users of the Metaverse, on the other hand, the fear of fraud and economic scams prevails, indicated as the main risk by 64 percent of the population.
The good news, for Wallife at least, is that Italians have shown a propensity to purchase policies to cover the risks of the Metaverse, a propensity that-understandably-increases among those (33 percent of the sample) who have already run into a breach of their online profile.
