Meta’s disappointing Q4 2021 results have put even more pressure on the social media giant to get its metaverse experiment right. More than three years after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Meta still falls short of a credible strategy on data privacy and misinformation and these issues will continue to dog the company as it enters the metaverse, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Laura Petrone, Principal Analyst in the Thematic team at GlobalData, comments: “Meta has left several metaverse-related questions unanswered. These include how its advertising business model will work without relying on targeted advertising and how it can ensure consumer safety in this digital world. The flood of misinformation on its Facebook platform has tarnished Meta’s reputation, and it’s likely that online harm and harassment will only amplify in the metaverse.”

It is still unclear how Meta will reconcile the need to monetize the metaverse with the promise of building a privacy-friendly virtual environment. As on its flagship social media platform, targeted advertising will lie at the root of data privacy and misinformation issues in Meta’s metaverse.

Petrone continues: “Meta’s weak outlook shows that the social media company still bears the scars of Apple’s iOS changes. It will need to dismantle its platforms’ targeted advertising infrastructure and replace it with a privacy-centric one. At the same time, the company is investing heavily in the metaverse, particularly augmented and virtual reality technologies, which has impacted profitability.”