ICO response to Channel 4 ‘Inside the Metaverse’ documentary

28 Apr 2022 01:47 PM

A recent C4 Dispatches – ​Inside the Metaverse looked at the metaverse and how the platforms enforce against users that act inappropriately. The programme showed examples of racist and sexually explicit behaviour, including actions targeted at children. Issues raised are likely to be covered by the Online Safety Bill however we are assessing data protection risks of these new technologies.

An ICO spokesperson recently said:

“Online services and products that use personal data and are likely to be accessed by children are required to comply with the standards of our Children’s Code. Services must take proportionate steps to assess the age of users and provide high default privacy settings for children or, alternatively, apply the code’s standards to all users.

“We are continuing to assess the data protection risks associated with the deployment of new and emerging immersive technologies, like virtual and augmented reality, as well as the interaction between privacy and online safety in this area. Parents and children who have concerns about how their data is being handled can complain to us at the ICO.”