Event

Metaverse Dialogue #3 – Data, privacy, identity: potential legal challenges

The third and final day of the Renaissance Numérique Metaverse Dialogues

Brussels, Closed seminar

Wednesday 5 July, 9.00am-6.00pm

Renaissance Numérique launched in December 2022 the "Metaverse Dialogues". Over the course of five months, it will gather French, European and international high-level experts, including institutional players, device manufacturers, representatives of the video games and virtual worlds industry, major tech companies, big and smaller economic actors from other sectors, but also academic experts representing a wide spectrum of social sciences (anthropology, economy, political science, psychology, cognitive sciences, sociology…) and civil society representatives. During three one-day dialogues, they will engage in the constructive confrontation of their experience and knowledge, with a view to shed light on the technological, legal and societal issues that are emerging — and are likely to emerge — as the metaverse develops.

As the concept of “metaverse” develops, so does the potential collection and processing of various kinds of data: emotional data, biometric data, behavioural data, etc. It also poses questions in terms of identity, in particular around how people’s online identities should be managed and by whom, or whether it should be regulated at all. Whereas the development of user-generated content platforms introduced questions and demanded action in terms of content moderation, the current upsurge around immersive virtual worlds introduces questions on how to regulate not only content, but also behaviours, who should be in charge of that moderation, and through what means.

With this in mind, can we consider the current European legal framework “fit for the metaverse”? Should certain legislation, such as the GDPR, DSA, DMA, ePrivacy Directive, copyrights laws, or eIDAS regulation, be revised or re-evaluated, in view of coming developments around immersive worlds? If some aspects of the metaverse must be regulated, who are the stakeholders that are most relevant to do so? Can self-regulation be enough in certain areas? What should be the role of governments, regulatory authorities,
private actors and civil society in this regard? These are the main questions this “Metaverse Dialogue” will seek to address.

The following experts will take part in the discussion:

  • Cecila Àlvarez, EMEA Privacy Policy Director, Meta
  • Yaniv Benhamou, Associated professor, University of Geneva
  • Benedikt Blomeyer-Bartenstein, Regulatory Affairs Europe, Apple
  • Régis Chatellier, Innovation and Foresight Project Manager, CNIL
  • Étienne Drouard, Partner, Hogan Lovells
  • Philip Eder Levacher, Apple
  • Paul Fehlinger, Director of Policy, Governance Innovation & Impact, McCourt Institute
  • Elvire François, Government Affairs Manager, Microsoft
  • Claire Levallois-Barth, Institut Mines Télécom
  • Alain Strowel, Professor, UC Louvain
  • Pablo Trigo Kramcsák, Researcher, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

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