Pixels overtake playgrounds for kids’ social lives
Summary
In mid-March 2023, the UK Government’s Online Safety Bill progressed to the House of Lords, yet a range of potential harms unique to the use of Metaverse and VR remain un-covered by legislation. The amendment led to an extensive debate in the House of Lords, concluding with the Government offering assurances that Ofcom’s periodic reviews will likely include users’ experiences of services such as the Metaverse. Catherine Allen, Member of the IET’s Digital Policy Panel, and CEO of VR consultancy Limina Immersive, comments: “Today’s children are experiencing life in a way that is very different from that of their parents’ and caregivers’ youth. “The UK Government’s Online Safety Bill puts a ‘duty of care’ on large tech companies, social media websites, and other businesses operating in this space to remove harmful or illegal content and protect children. This will ensure the Bill keeps pace in the future as technology advances and that users continue to be sufficiently protected.” 1 A survey of 1,000 parents of children aged 5-13 years old conducted by 3Gem in April 2023.