South Korean government introduces ethical guidelines for the metaverse

The Ministry of Sciece and ICT of South Korea has issued guidelines for the metaverse.
Although, the guidelines are non-binding.

The values and principles of guidelines

On November 28, the South Korean government announced a lot of non-binding ethics guidelines for metaverse services. The terms of use will be based on those guidelines only.

The Ministry of Science and ICT has released the guidelines in a meeting of ministers organized at the Seoul Government Complex in central Seoul. The meeting was held on the topic of “Metaverse Ethical Principles.”

Basically, the guidelines are made keeping three core values in mind i.e, sincere identity, safe experience and sustainable prosperity. The motive of making the guidelines is to make sure that clients are capable of show their correct identity in a secure digital world created with a sustainable system that is open to all members.

Apart from the core values, there are eight principles on which the directives relies i.e, authenticity, autonomy, reciprocity, respect for privacy, fairness, personal information protection, inclusiveness and responsibility for future. These principles are targeted at metaverse developers and users both.

For example, for genuineness, developers are advised to represent themselves as nearly as they can to their real identity to the users. Also, users are motivated to understand the link between their identity in the digital and real world.

The publicization happened very soon after the demands from the market and analysts, on the quick rise of metaverse platforms and probable crimes in the virtual world with the lack of regulations to manage the newly-made services. Worries regarding virtual sex crimes, scams and data piracy have been brought up, particular related to minors.

The guidelines are non-binding but also it is anticipated that it will offer a code of conduct for metaverse clients and managers to follow their works with, so the broad terminology. A team of researchers in which 12 experts in ethics, data protection, law and engineering participated in examining a survey of 2,626 interviewees and other related data.

The metaverse will grow and one day become a part of all our daily lives like commerce, education, medical services and many more,” the vice minister of science and ICT, Park Yun-kyu stated.

“The government will back completely to ensure that people enjoy a safe metaverse with their real identity and that makes sure future generations a sustainable prosperity by the mataverse.”

Metaverse firms are also launching in to make secure environment.