U.K. online safety bill includes metaverse protections

U.K. legislators have passed the Online Safety Bill, which mandates companies to evaluate the potential of users encountering illegal content and children being exposed to harmful material in the metaverse.

The metaverse is a collective virtual shared space created by converging virtually enhanced physical reality and interactively persistent virtual spaces. It encompasses digital universes, augmented reality and the Internet, where users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users.

This legislation, introduced in March and passed Tuesday, obliges companies to devise strategies to counteract these risks. Officials in the United Kingdom have deemed it essential for the Online Safety Bill to encompass virtual environments.

Lord Stephen Parkinson, of the Parliament's upper house and minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, confirmed in a July discussion that this technologically neutral and future-oriented bill covers the metaverse. The bill awaits King Charles' assent and will be effective immediately unless specified otherwise.

Copyright © 2023 MT Newswires. All rights reserved. MT Newswires does not provide investment advice. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.