How can rights and freedoms be guaranteed in the metaverse, whilst the frontiers between the physical and virtual worlds are becoming increasingly blurred?
This collaborative report by the Council of Europe and the IEEE Standards Association navigates the complexities of technology and human rights, emphasising the importance of a human-centric approach to immersive realities development, such as the metaverse.
The report highlights key issues and risks while exploring the potential benefits of the metaverse. Grounded in ethical considerations, it underscores the necessity of upholding the principles of human rights, the rule of law and democracy.
Authored by a consortium of over 50 IEEE experts and peer reviewed by the Council of Europe relevant sectors, the report provides essential perspectives on technical, ethical and governance dimensions. As the metaverse evolves, so too will the guidance offered within, ensuring policy makers remain informed and adaptable in this dynamic landscape.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES AND BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE METAVERSE CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE
Understanding the metaverse and its current state
Application areas
Is it too early to deal with the metaverse?
Ethical considerations
CHAPTER 2 – IMPACT ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Privacy and data protection
Identity
Free expression, content and behaviour moderation and safety
Inclusion, diversity and accessibility
Labour
Political and social participation
Social interaction and community building
Health
Environment
Education
Children’s rights
CHAPTER 3 – THE METAVERSE, THE RULE OF LAW AND DEMOCRACY
Digital territoriality and jurisdiction: virtual worlds as crime sites
Cybercrime and virtual crime
Personhood and ownership in the metaverse
Rule of law and democracy in proprietary virtual spaces
CHAPTER 4 – GOVERNANCE
Regulation
Self-regulation/self-governance
Technical standards
CHAPTER 5 – CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS
Lessons learned from other technology advances and differences in the metaverse: same issues, exacerbated scope and impact
Re-interpretation and effective enforcement of existing legal frameworks or towards the creation of new ones?
Outlook
REFERENCES
Further reading
APPENDIX I – USES OF THE METAVERSE
Entertainment
Medicine
Health, fitness and wellness
Education and learning
Social and cultural engagement
APPENDIX II – HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGITAL RIGHTS PROTECTION FRAMEWORKS AND DEFINITIONS (INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN)
Existing human rights frameworks
APPENDIX III – SELECTION OF ISSUES AND SOME CONSIDERATIONS SHARED BY THE CONTRIBUTORS
Ways that data are collected
Data privacy and security
Privacy for children
Free expression
Identity in the metaverse
Digital inclusion
Algorithmic bias
Labour
Social interaction and community building
The environment
Children’s rights
