Colombian lawyers put on virtual headsets to take part, and the meeting was live-streamed on YouTube. Those attending appeared in the meeting as computer-generated avatars.

And the hearing—which saw a complainant trying to sue the police—was a success, according to those in the virtual meeting. “The use of information technology in the development of judicial proceedings has the essential purpose of facilitating and expediting these processes [of executing justice],” said María Victoria Quiñones Triana, magistrate of the Magdalena court. 

Though not all those tuned into the streaming thought it was a good idea: some commented that seeing cartoon-like figures was ridiculous. “I feel it takes away from the seriousness [of the case],” remarked one viewer. “If I want to see myself in a dinosaur character, is that also acceptable?”

It was the first time Colombia’s lawmakers held a full virtual hearing—but elsewhere in the world, hearings using Meta’s tech have taken place: local media reported that last September, a Chinese court held a virtual meeting.