Under The Microscope: Rights And Liabilities Of Avatars And Terrorism In Metaverse

Harshi Singh, B.A.LL.B.(Hons.), Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University, Sonepat, Haryana

ABSTRACT

The Metaverse is the preeminent fervour at present, in the digital realm due to its widely recognised endless potential and avenues for growth. However, as the metaverse emerges as an intricate and extensive digital environment, it also brings legal challenges all over the map, particularly concerning the rights and liabilities of avatars—virtual representations of individuals—in this virtual landscape. This paper presents an effort to scrutinise the intricate nuances pertaining to metaverse avatars, emphasising on the potential of metaverse as a tool for terrorism exploitation.

The paper begins with an introduction that zeroes in on the historical development of the metaverse and avatars. The research dissects the rampant sexual harassment experienced by avatars in virtual spaces and taps into the potentiality for the metaverse to be made use of by the terrorists for various activities such as recruitment, training, coordination of attacks and so on. It delves into contemporary laws and regulations, and presents a hypothetical situation to assesses their efficiency in the light of the metaverse. It suggests the necessity to modify the existing legislation and enact new ones, to ensure its effectiveness within metaverse and looks into the question of legal personality of avatars.

It accentuates the importance of striking a balance between innovation and regulation to create a safe and secure digital domain for all users, unencumbered by harassment and terrorism. In the end, it proposes potential legal reforms and technological solutions to mitigate the challenges put forth by metaverse.