Webinar VII: Protection of Privacy in Virtual Worlds

Last Monday 15 April 2024, the Chair for the responsible development of the Metaverse organised the Webinar “Final Fantasy: A Roadmap for Virtual Property in the Metaverse”.

The speaker, Dr. Michaela MacDonald (Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London) examined how the concepts of ownership and property rights may relate and apply to digital assets in the post-digital era and, most crucially, the Metaverse. Currently, users have a very limited agency and control when it comes to the wide range of digital assets they may interact with daily, mainly safeguarded by privacy and consumer protection regulation. Time and time again, we are confronted with situations in which users’ expectations about being able to exercise agency and control over their digital assets are misplaced and at odds with the law. Dr. MacDonald considered the theoretical foundations, justifications, and practical consequences of treating digital assets through the lens of ownership and property rights and whether this addresses users’ legitimate expectations.

These considerations are part of the article that Dr. MacDonald is currently writing on the topic and for which she received comments from Enrico BONADIO (Reader on IP at City, University of London) and Fabrizio ESPOSITO (Assistant Professor, NOVA School of Law).

You can access the recording here: