In the metaverse, murder isn't a "25-to-life" type of crime, but it might be nonetheless a crime, according to legal experts. These experts argue that serious offenses in the metaverse, such as murder or rape, could be construed as speech-related offenses (i.e., threat, harassment, or stalking).
Criminal laws are created to protect living people, according to Bandler, a cyber security and cybercrime expert at Pace University School of Law. But these laws were not intended to safeguard avatars or software programs that constitute the metaverse.
To Bandler, violent metaverse crimes are "more like speech or expression," rather than "a physical act against a person." Then, the issue is about what speech is protected against prosecution.