May 5, 2026
On the Ethics of Metaverses
Metaverses promise numerous new opportunities in areas such as work and the economy, gaming and entertainment, commerce and marketing, art and culture, as well as health and therapy. At the same time, however, the use of such virtual, immersive 3D environments also entails a number of risks, particularly with regard to data protection and privacy, psychological and social impacts, economic dependencies, as well as other ethical and legal issues. It is precisely at this intersection of new opportunities and emerging risks that a current research project based at IZEW on privacy, ethics, and IT security in metaverses is situated. This article presents the background, focus areas, methods, and objectives of the project. Central to this is the question of the ethical challenges that arise in the design and use of metaverses.
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