By George Ward
Earlier in the week, the South Korean authorities issued ethical guidelines to regulate the conduct of individuals in the metaverse. The policies offer a framework for how users can use the metaverse.
The country’s Ministry of Science presented the guidelines at a meeting at the Seoul Government Complex.
Meanwhile, the Ministry anchored the guidelines on three central values. They are sustainable prosperity, sincere identity, and safe experience. The meeting report became public on November 30th on the agency’s website.
Furthermore, the three values also encompass eight more principles. The principles include fairness, protection of personal information, respect for privacy, inclusiveness, autonomy, authenticity, reciprocity, and responsibility.
According to the report, these principles apply to metaverse users and creators. The Monday declaration comes after industry and market experts expressed concern about the rapid adoption of the metaverse.
Experts argued that the rate of criminal activities could skyrocket in the metaverse. This is due to the lack of rules and guidelines to guide the conduct of individuals in that space.
Notably, most concerns have revolved around cyber-sex crimes, data theft, child molestation, and fraud. These guidelines are meant to give metaverse platform owners and users a moral code of conduct.
Furthermore, South Korea has reported cases of child abuse and sexual harassment in the metaverse. As a result, the country’s lawmakers have submitted a proposal to amend existing sexual-related laws.
South Korean Lawmakers Set Penalties For Metaverse Crimes
South Korean lawmakers want to include penalties and sentences for sexual misconduct between digital avatars. Park Yun-kyu, the Vice-minister of Science in South Korea, stated:
“The metaverse would expand and gradually become a major part of our lives in areas like education, commerce, medical services, and more.”
South Korean authorities have pledged their support to ensure residents enjoy a safe virtual space. This includes the protection of users’ identity and privacy.
Meanwhile, Naver Z is another firm fighting for metaverse safety. The platform announced on Monday the launch of a safety advisory council. Naver Z is the company behind the Zepeto metaverse.
The company created a safety council which consists of nine external members. The council aims to foster a safe environment for the users of its platform.
In addition, the council will evaluate all areas related to user safety, such as technology and usage conditions. The Zepeto platform has about 340 million users from across the globe.
In September, Naver Z became a member of the Tech Coalition. This organization is a global association of tech firms dedicated to combating the exploitation of children and online sexual abuse.