We believe the metaverse will transform how people connect and how businesses grow, leading to closer social experiences than anything else online today. But the technologies that make the metaverse possible will need to be inclusive and people will need to feel safe to want to use them. Since no company will own or operate the metaverse, this will require collaboration and cooperation.

Today we are announcing a $2.5 million investment to support independent academic research across Europe to study the risks and opportunities of the metaverse. Through the help of Research Fund and XR ProgramsAcademics from seven European countries will examine how metaverse technologies will intersect with privacy, security, inclusion and the future…