Will The Metaverse benefit our lives? An introduction to the ethical, legal, and social concerns of virtual reality

Facebook has renamed itself ‘Meta’ but it is much more than a name. The company is developing a digital universe, a new interactive virtual platform, with Mark Zuckerberg as its CEO. This newly claimed digital universe is called The Metaverse1, and in a recent YouTube Video Zuckerberg defines it as a ‘new technological improvement in the way humans interact with the world’. Although the Metaverse is not yet on the market, it is not science fiction either, as it is now being developed and advertised. However, there is not much clarity into what really is The Metaverse, nor how it will impact our lives. This blog post offers an introduction to this digital universe and a critical approach to reflecting on its impact on society, especially the ethical, social, and legal issues that can arise in the future.