How do we secure the metaverse? Addressing harms in extended reality

Description

Join the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy for the launch of a new report exploring ways to tackle harms in the metaverse.

Advancements in extended reality (XR) technologies are bridging the gap between the physical and virtual world and propelling the concept of a ‘metaverse’.

Applications of XR systems are poised to disrupt and transform the global digital economy. Beyond gaming, XR and metaverse technologies have the potential to revolutionise various industries: including education and skills training, healthcare, entertainment, and the future of work and personal productivity.

Additionally, the breadth and intimacy of the personal information collected by XR devices is unlike anything yet seen in consumer products.

At this event, we will launch a new report by Shannon Pierson that provides an assessment of possible harms in the metaverse, and suggests policy recommendations to mitigate them.

The report focuses on the governance, biometric data privacy, and cybersecurity obstacles in XR technology today in order to signal what problems lie ahead for a fully realised metaverse.

For the UK, we will suggest ways to use the Online Safety Bill and existing laws to address user safety in metaverse mediums and technologies.

Speakers

• Shannon Pierson, report author, Affiliate, Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy
• Gina Neff, Executive Director, Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy (event host)

About the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy

The Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy is an independent team of academic researchers at the University of Cambridge, who are radically rethinking the power relationships between digital technologies, society and our planet.

We are based in CRASSH (University of Cambridge Centre for Research in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences)