Without regulations for higher education institutions in the metaverse, ethical transgressions are unavoidable. Educational metaverse systems, which integrate artificial intelligence, essentially depend on big data as their core technology, leading to considerable privacy issues. Therefore, this study examines data privacy and security issues, a sub-dimension of metavethics, and how a healthy, secure, and responsible metaverse can be shaped within higher education. The research group was formed using a maximum diversity and criterion sampling method based on purposive sampling approaches. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 key faculty members who have a voice in the field of educational metaverse. The interview questions were prepared based on the relevant literature and conceptual framework. Some outstanding findings emphasized by the participants on the risks under data privacy and security in higher education are: the challenge of 3-dimensional data such as biological and behavioural data, algorithmic guidance, dependence on private companies in the educational metaverse, wearable technologies, loss of privacy, the danger of the disappearance of free will, loss of autonomy in higher education, personal data becoming a market material, and cyber-attacks on university systems. Keywords: data privacy, metaverse, metaversity, metavethics, higher education, IPA
Gündüz et al. (Sun,) studied this question.