Facebook plans to hire up to 10,000 people in Europe to build a “metaverse,” a whole new online realm combining virtual and augmented reality technologies.
Facebook made the announcement this week, claiming that the investment shows a “vote of confidence” in Europe’s tech industries and its workers.
The Metaverse is meant to create a whole new space that is similar to the internet, where its users can walk around and interact with each other in real time.
Facebook isn’t the only one eyeing the potential Metaverse. Competitors are also looking to develop it, including game platforms like Roblox and Epic Games.
Facebook has reassured people that the Metaverse would not be owned or run by any singular company, and that like the internet, the key feature will be its interoperability and openness.
While Facebook may want to pursue the project in Europe, it’s unclear whether the EU will welcome the move, as the company has been under increased scrutiny by the EU and UK regulators, as well as within the US. Fears that Facebook prioritizes profits over health and public safety remains the primary concern.
In the US, Facebook has been under fire lately for a slew of reasons. The first came following a report that Instagram has known for years the toxic effect its app has on teenagers’ mental health. Then came the Facebook whistleblower hearing at Congress, in which a former Facebook employee spent hours detailing how the social network harms young people.
There are also questions into how much Facebook knew about the Jan. 6 insurrection attack on the Capitol.
In Europe, the European Commission launched an investigation over the summer to assess whether the company breathed EU competition rules by using data collected from advertisers on its platform to compete against them. In the UK, its Competition and Markets Authority is investigating the company’s use of data as well.
Another Facebook whistleblower is also meant to appear before British lawmakers for a hearing about the role in normalizing hate speech.
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