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.
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. |