UK Members of the House of Lords believe that activities in the metaverse should be covered by legislation intended to control specific internet services in the United Kingdom.
Members of the upper chamber of the British parliament argued on whether the Online Safety Bill would include “certain harmful content” that users might encounter in a virtual setting like the metaverse. Many politicians thought about how laws could address the “ghastly stuff” that kids can encounter online, according to member Illora Finlay of Llandaff, Wales.
Source: Flickr
Although the metaverse technology is still in its infancy, there are already many live metaverses. Additionally, it appears that politicians think that this technology will soon be used widely enough to warrant the introduction of regulations aimed at protecting children.
The CEO of Ofcom, Melanie Dawes, offered her opinion on the subject in October. In her words, “These virtual reality experiences are very immersive, and the degree of harm that can be created and, indeed, the degree of enjoyment can be that much more intense.”
Since the internet became widely used, cyberbullying and harassment have been an issue. However, according to the authorities, virtual reality applications and technologies have the ability to take it a step further and seriously hurt kids.
Source: Flickr
Because of this, members of the House of Lords contend that the Online Safety Bill cannot permit metaverse technology to be an exception and that the problem needs to be resolved right away, from the ground up.
