U.K. lawmakers argue that the Online Safety Bill should extend to the metaverse

 


U.K. lawmakers argue that the Online Safety Bill should extend to the metaverse to regulate harmful content that users, particularly children, may encounter in virtual environments. 

The argument hinges on the bill's application to "anything communicated using an internet service," including virtual objects or avatars, text, and images provided by other users.

The House of Lords members debated the scope of the Online Safety Bill, with many asserting that it should cover "ghastly stuff" that children might encounter online, including in the metaverse.

  • Member Illora Finlay of Llandaff, Wales, and member Timothy Clement-Jones emphasized the need for the bill to cover the metaverse and the environments it creates.
  • The U.K. Online Safety Bill is scheduled for further debate in the House of Lords on July 17.
    • It must still go through a third reading in the House before final amendments are signed into law.
  • In the U.S., advocacy groups have called on Meta not to allow minors to use the company's metaverse platform, Horizon Worlds, citing the risk of harassment and loss of privacy.

In September 2022, California enacted an online children's safety law requiring companies to turn on the highest privacy settings for children by default and turn off certain features that might expose them to risk.

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