Metaverse ethics: exploring the social implications of the metaverse

Abstract The emergence of the metaverse transforms the way humans interact with computers; the metaverse brings about a new form of human-computer interaction that is more immersive, intuitive, and seamless. In the present paper we thus aim to elucidate the role of human-computer interactions in the age of the metaverse. New forms of human-computer interaction via the metaverse are beneficial for humans in many ways; at the same time, however, there are new types of social issues that are emerging as the metaverse develops and that need to be taken seriously. Specifically, we focus upon issues such as privacy, surveillance capitalism, cyber-syndromes, amplifications of other social problems, environmental problems, and discuss what regulations would be appropriate in order to balance the adequate development of the metaverse with the safety and security of it that is required for social good, in particular for sustainable development goals. We finally propose ethical design principles for the sustainable metaverse in order to address the aforementioned and other social issues.