The challenges of consent in a decentralised metaverse: exploring ethically informed protections and standards to safeguard humans
Throughout the history of Web2.0 there is a large body of evidence of data being used for something other than what it was consented to be used for. What were 2D webpages are becoming 3D worlds, collectively forming a Metaverse of virtual and mixed reality domains which should help to create new int...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Virtual Reality |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2025.1401073/full |
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| author | Carl Hayden Smith Judith Molka-Danielsen Jean-Brunel Webb-Benjamin Jazz Rasool |
| author_facet | Carl Hayden Smith Judith Molka-Danielsen Jean-Brunel Webb-Benjamin Jazz Rasool |
| author_sort | Carl Hayden Smith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Throughout the history of Web2.0 there is a large body of evidence of data being used for something other than what it was consented to be used for. What were 2D webpages are becoming 3D worlds, collectively forming a Metaverse of virtual and mixed reality domains which should help to create new interactive learning, social and economic opportunities. In this paper we reflect on how the physical world will itself become a networked interface, making reality even more machine-readable, click-able, and searchable. We begin with a review of the Metaverse and some of the consent challenges that arise and urgently need to be addressed whilst exploring its potential. There is a core need for creators of Metaverse environments to make them safe spaces for everyone to use. We explore and review the knowledge gap of consent needed to ensure a fair and just use of data within the Metaverse. We explore the challenges of consent including examples such as unauthorised surveillance and the need for ethical and moral standards in large platforms such as VRChat. This need is then further elaborated using experiences gathered during the XPRIZE Rapid Re-skilling Competition. The main contributions of this paper are the five stage Shared Consent Framework which was developed in response to understanding the limitations of existing consent frameworks and the extended definition of the Metaverse. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d19733c9b71547bba85c8d53dcae5d86 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-4192 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Virtual Reality |
| spelling | doaj-art-d19733c9b71547bba85c8d53dcae5d862025-02-05T07:32:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Virtual Reality2673-41922025-02-01610.3389/frvir.2025.14010731401073The challenges of consent in a decentralised metaverse: exploring ethically informed protections and standards to safeguard humansCarl Hayden Smith0Judith Molka-Danielsen1Jean-Brunel Webb-Benjamin2Jazz Rasool3Department of Media in the School of Arts and Creative Industries, University of East London, London, United KingdomFaculty of Logistics, Molde University College, Molde, NorwayDjinn Technologies Ltd., London, United KingdomEnergy Diamond Consultancy Ltd., London, United KingdomThroughout the history of Web2.0 there is a large body of evidence of data being used for something other than what it was consented to be used for. What were 2D webpages are becoming 3D worlds, collectively forming a Metaverse of virtual and mixed reality domains which should help to create new interactive learning, social and economic opportunities. In this paper we reflect on how the physical world will itself become a networked interface, making reality even more machine-readable, click-able, and searchable. We begin with a review of the Metaverse and some of the consent challenges that arise and urgently need to be addressed whilst exploring its potential. There is a core need for creators of Metaverse environments to make them safe spaces for everyone to use. We explore and review the knowledge gap of consent needed to ensure a fair and just use of data within the Metaverse. We explore the challenges of consent including examples such as unauthorised surveillance and the need for ethical and moral standards in large platforms such as VRChat. This need is then further elaborated using experiences gathered during the XPRIZE Rapid Re-skilling Competition. The main contributions of this paper are the five stage Shared Consent Framework which was developed in response to understanding the limitations of existing consent frameworks and the extended definition of the Metaverse.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2025.1401073/fullMetaverseethicsdecentralisedconsentvirtual realityArtificial Intelligence |
| spellingShingle | Carl Hayden Smith Judith Molka-Danielsen Jean-Brunel Webb-Benjamin Jazz Rasool The challenges of consent in a decentralised metaverse: exploring ethically informed protections and standards to safeguard humans Frontiers in Virtual Reality Metaverse ethics decentralised consent virtual reality Artificial Intelligence |
| title | The challenges of consent in a decentralised metaverse: exploring ethically informed protections and standards to safeguard humans |
| title_full | The challenges of consent in a decentralised metaverse: exploring ethically informed protections and standards to safeguard humans |
| title_fullStr | The challenges of consent in a decentralised metaverse: exploring ethically informed protections and standards to safeguard humans |
| title_full_unstemmed | The challenges of consent in a decentralised metaverse: exploring ethically informed protections and standards to safeguard humans |
| title_short | The challenges of consent in a decentralised metaverse: exploring ethically informed protections and standards to safeguard humans |
| title_sort | challenges of consent in a decentralised metaverse exploring ethically informed protections and standards to safeguard humans |
| topic | Metaverse ethics decentralised consent virtual reality Artificial Intelligence |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2025.1401073/full |
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