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Guidelines for consideration of ethical issues in standards that build confidence and security in the metaverse

Abstract
As the world becomes increasingly digital, the metaverse is emerging as a new frontier of social and economic interaction; allowing people to create, connect and collaborate in ways that were previously thought impossible. In its nascent phase of user adoption, this is a timely opportunity to formulate guidelines for meaningful engagement, as well as to help mitigate challenges that continue to afflict the digital platforms that make up its infrastructure and ecosystems. The need for trust and confidence, cornerstones in any environment necessitating user interaction and participation, is amplified in virtual environments [b-Gefen]. This need takes on increased significance as the participatory nature of the metaverse and vast amounts and increasingly personalized nature of data collected together usher in a new frontier for user safety and security. The objective of this Technical Report is to develop a set of guidelines that address ethical aspects in the establishment of standards for engagement within the metaverse. Given the importance of confidence to user engagement, the report puts forward a user-centric approach by emphasizing principles grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). User expectations, especially as they relate to personal safety, are a central component of confidence in navigating the metaverse and other digital platforms. Yet historically, the reality (as it compares to these expectations) has fallen short, resulting in a discrepancy between anticipated and actual safeguards. The report will explore user expectations and propose a new framework to define user confidence and how it is expressed in immersive environments. It will also introduce guiding principles to bolster user confidence in navigating metaverse platforms, with a goal of fostering a sense of safety, control, user autonomy, fairness, transparency and access to adequate information during interactions within immersive spaces. Where confidence in metaverse environments shares similarities with confidence in existing digital platforms will also be discussed, as will unique considerations introduced by the immersive and comprehensive nature of the metaverse and ways in which these can be addressed. The Report will subsequently explore distinct elements necessary for fostering meaningful engagement within the metaverse context. By centring the user experience in building security and confidence in the metaverse, this Technical Report aims to support efforts to ensure the metaverse evolves in a way that serves its users and their needs while also adhering to the principles of sustainable development.
Supplementary Normative References
none, will be completed
Domains
Security
Maturities
published
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