Virtual worlds, but real risks: navigating metaverses as a next generation of digital platforms – TOPIC 03 Sub 01 2023

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21 June 2023 | 10:30 - 11:15 EEST | Auditorium
Consolidated programme 2023 overview / Main Topic 3

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Main Topic 3: Digital Platforms
Working title: Subtopic 1: Virtual worlds, but real risks: navigating metaverses as a next generation of digital platforms
Proposals:#12 #25 #26 #27 #33 #36 #49 #53 #59 #61

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Session teaser

Immersive technologies, including extended reality, augmented reality and virtual reality, commonly referred to as the “metaverses”, have long history of uses in research, military training and gaming. However, the new phase of commercializing technologies in the “metaverse” poses new interesting opportunities and challenges, ranging from  novel creative ways to connect with people across the world to potential adverse impacts on user wellbeing and safety.  This session will explore the current state of affairs of these emerging technologies, focusing on  their potential impacts.

Session description

Metaverses – virtual, immersive worlds – gradually evolve into the next generation of digital platforms. And the history of development teaches us that the inherent companion to progress invites not only new opportunities but also new risks, potentially reshaping our societies, economies, and governments. With all the intriguing possibilities the metaverses create, they also open up space for the continuation and advancement of threats well-known from the existing digital platforms. Moreover, the specific technical nature of metaverses and extended/augmented reality means that other unfamiliar dangers may emerge and grow in unprecedented directions.

In this session, participants will have an opportunity to engage in the debate on how the landscape of risks is shaping up in metaverses. It will oscillate around several main areas:

- cybersecurity threats; - lack of interoperability between different spaces; - violations of human rights and freedoms, such as the right to privacy or freedom of speech; - other risks of harm to users - harassment, bullying, hate speech, addictions etc.; - challenges to introduce multi-governance models.

However, participants of the session are welcomed to introduce other issues they find relevant to the topic.

The key participants of the session are:

Representative of the European Commission - tbc

Sarah Nicole

Sarah Nicole has expertise in emerging technologies and cybersecurity as well as in policy and technical governance. Previously, she worked for Huawei and Microsoft on these issues at the European level.

As an emerging technologies analyst, she published reports on the future of cyberspace for the CyberPeace Institute, including one on the metaverse, and has written on the geopolitical race driven by quantum computing for France Digitale and Banque de France. She is a policy and research associate at the McCourt Institute, an interdisciplinary and action oriented institute advancing ethical governance for responsible technology. Through this role, Sarah is an active contributor to the ITU Focus Group on the Metaverse - Security, Data & Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Protection.

Sarah has a strong international background, having worked in Paris, Washington D.C, Brussels, Geneva and studied in Shanghai. She speaks almost 4 languages. She holds a European Affairs, Digital New Technologies and Public Policy Master from SciencesPo.

Fabien Benetou

Fabien Benetou is a prototypist, working on proof of concepts at the European Parliament Innovation team as an external consultant for nearly 5 years, formally UNICEF Innovation Fund WebXR technical advisor, startup technical co-founder and overall convinced that technological innovation, when done for equality, can be a positive societal force for change. Fabien's work focuses on answering questions like "What if..." or "Could we build..." thanks to actual software to realistically explore new possibilities, both in terms of technical feasability, user experience but also consequences. Fabien has built numerous virtual worlds, or metaverse, relying on open-source components over the least few years, in particular with a focus on knowledge management.

Format

To ensure an interactive format of the session, at the beginning, a poll will be used to ask online and onsite participants to share their opinion on what threats could be observed in metaverses. Then, based on their answers, key participants will share 3-minute insights on the topic from their fields of expertise. This would lead to a further, more informed debate between the audience and key participants, including an exchange of comments and Q&A.

Further reading

Links to relevant websites, declarations, books, documents:

• https://cyberpeaceinstitute.org/news/futures-of-cyberpeace/ • https://www.igi-global.com/article/a-descriptive-study-on-metaverse/315591 • https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-events/publications/policing-in-metaverse-what-law-enforcement-needs-to-know • https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/metaworse-the-trouble-with-the-metaverse • https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358989449_Regulation_of_the_Metaverse_A_Roadmap • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268401222000767

People

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SME

  • Meri Baghdasaryan

The Subject Matter Experts (SME) support the programme planning process throughout the year and work closely with the Secretariat. They give advice on the topics that correspond to their expertise, cluster the proposals and assist session organisers in their work. They also ensure that session principles are followed and monitor the complete programme to avoid repetition.

Focal Point

  • Emilia Zalewska

Focal Points take over the responsibility and lead of the session organisation. They work in close cooperation with the respective Subject Matter Expert (SME) and the EuroDIG Secretariat and are kindly requested to follow EuroDIG’s session principles

Organising Team (Org Team) List Org Team members here as they sign up.

  • Tapani Tarvainen
  • Amali De Silva-Mitchell
  • Hubert Romaniec
  • Romy Mans
  • Maria Lipinska
  • Sarah Nicole
  • Thomas Slätis
  • Zhenye Pan
  • Silvia Crocitta
  • Simone Barszczak

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Key Participants

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