Mark Zuckerberg presented his metaverse last year. Meta is now interested in different ways to generate income there. Most of this could be done through advertising, thanks to the user’s personal and biometric data.
Facebook (Meta) // Source: Unsplash Dima Solomin
Facebook is preparing the future of its metaverse, but also how to make it profitable. the FinancialTimes delved into the recent patents filed by Meta, Facebook’s parent company, on this subject. The British daily has reviewed hundreds of patent applications filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, many of which were granted this month.
Most are technologies that use the user’s biometric data to power what they see in their Oculus Quest and ensure that the avatar is realistic. But other patents relate to something quite different, namely the profitability of the metaverse. We do not change a formula that works: Meta would rely on targeted advertising and sponsored content. Advertising represents 98% of the revenue of the Meta empire, valued at more than 100 billion dollars for the year 2021.
The question of the future business model from the metaverse
This advertising model in the metaverse would include a virtual store, where users could buy digital services or items corresponding to very real objects, sponsored by brands.
Nick Clegg, head of global affairs at Meta, confirmed this axis at the FinancialTimes, stating that ” the business model in the metaverse is commerce driven“, and that the advertisements ” clearly play a role in this. ยป
In addition to patents concerning the monitoring of facial expressions of the user or the creation of hyper-realistic avatars from photos, others are interested in the collection of biometric data for advertising purposes.
On the left, Mark Zuckerberg with an Oculus Quest. On the right, Mark Zuckerbeg with pixels // Source: CBS
One of the patents, for example, explores how to present users with personalized ads in augmented reality, based on age, gender, interests or even the way people interact on social networks, which includes their likes and their comments. Another aims to allow third parties (companies) to sponsor the appearance of an object in a virtual store. The patents show how Meta could offer even more personalized virtual advertisements than what is already done on the internet.
Use biometric data to better target
Scientific research has shown that gaze orientation as well as pupil activity can implicitly hold information about a person’s interests and emotional state. For example, if your gaze lingers on a specific place in an image, this can mean your interest in a specific element. Data that we imagine to be very valuable for deducing everyone’s tastes and preferences.
Nick Clegg explained that the principle of eye tracking could be used in the metaverse, arguing that ” to understand whether people are interacting with an ad or not, you need to be able to rely on data. By extrapolating, some therefore fear hyper-targeted advertising, in particular based on our involuntary biological reactions to stimuli.
The Meta group, for its part, indicated that the patents filed did not necessarily reflect the technologies used in their products and services.
To follow us, we invite you to download our Android and iOS application. You can read our articles, files, and watch our latest YouTube videos.