Meta-clusivity may not be so inclusive

By Chyung Eun-ju and Joel Cho

Chyung Eun-ju

Joel Cho

As the metaverse continues to gain traction, albeit slower than a lot of industry experts have anticipated, various social facets are being compared to the "analog" world.

Amongst the most interesting aspects that have caught our attention recently has been the concept of representation of one's identity within the digital realm.

Given the nature of the digital world, users have access to an endless specter of possibilities, especially when it comes to their digital personal portrayal, allowing anyone to assume an identity that differs from the one assigned in the real world.

Experimentation with digital identity is not a novel concept, as users have had the ability to do so since the primordial times of the internet. Take for instance online forums such as Reddit, that's been around since 2005, where users could pick a handle/username and disclaim their identity at their whim. Most digital spaces do not require a form of authentication when it comes to defining one's digital identity, and if they do most are easily bypassed.

So if experimenting with digital identity is not something new, how did the growth of the metaverse peak our interest in this matter?

With the advancement and growing adoption of the metaverse various segments of the market, and the constant social movements and changes taking place in modern society, a new conversation is taking place ― should there be limitations to the ability we have to define our digital identities within this new forming virtual reality?

It is quite straightforward that the unlimited possibilities we have to identify ourselves in the virtual realm can be quite liberating, since it allows a free form of self-expression, considering of course the limitations of the specific vehicle used.

This range of possibilities allows people, especially those that struggle with the identity assigned to them in the real world, to explore and experiment with various identities and be perceived by the ones they choose to portray virtually.

This seems very relevant to the social matters advocated mostly by Gen Z. The younger generation has been contributing to the growing importance of recognizing the need to provide inclusive spaces for people who do not identify with the conventional, and most times conservative, identities, such as individuals who identify themselves as transsexuals and genderqueer.

For us, this aspect of identities within virtual reality is undeniably a positive advancement. As an article by CEO of Trace Network Labs, Lokesh Rao, for CoinTelegram summarized, "An avatar in a game or metaverse allows users to explore, develop and rehearse their identities in a relatively safe environment without facing discrimination, negative encounters, bullying or isolation. This is the best way to start as "out" and express oneself without fear and with head held high!"

The worrying issue nowadays is that there are corporate players that are taking over spaces in the metaverse. This participation of corporate entities creating digital identities raises certain concerns regarding representation.

As companies do not possess any physically identifiable characteristics, the creation of avatars by them can generate a very polarizing discussion.

As of today, there are various digital avatars that have been created by companies as a form of publicity strategy and digital activation of their brands, but should there be imposed limits to the avatars that a company may create and essentially detain as a digital asset?

To better illustrate this question, let's consider that a Western company decides to create an Asian female avatar to be used as a digital ambassador for their brand. Should this be allowed? Could there be situations where the company could use its avatar to express certain stereotypical opinions wrongly associated with the Asian community? Would this be considered cultural appropriation?

Ethics will become a key focus in creating a healthy and safe environment in a world where anything is possible. "Identity tourism," choosing a character different from one's identity, has been looked down upon, and even in the digital world, experts have warned against using an avatar that represents racial/ethnic groups different from that of the user.

Cultural identities are something that should be carefully considered, but what if taking on another cultural identity decreases implicit bias, since you may learn something by walking in someone else's shoes? The issue of cultural appropriation does not have a simple solution and developers will have a head-scratch trying to intervene in users' behavior.

Circling back to gender identity, a male user may create a female avatar in an objective matter as well. According to a McKinsey report, there are more female users who are proactive in the metaverse than male counterparts and spend more time in the metaverse than men, but women are left out of leadership roles in the metaverse economy.

The metaverse companies are disproportionately led by men, which may be the cause for the existing gender gap in leadership roles in the metaverse despite the high female user base.

Facebook's Meta has already had a sexual assault case in which the victim shared her story in The Medium. Nina Jane Patel, the vice president of Metaverse Research at Kabuni shared, "They touched and groped my avatar while they took selfie-photos," and as she tried to remove herself from the situation by removing her Oculus headset, she could still hear the men saying, "'don't pretend you didn't love it,' 'this is why you came here.'"

Patel is not the only victim of metaverse sexual assault, but there is nothing that legal forces can do. No company seems to moderate this issue, as an algorithm cannot fix a user's behavior. This makes us think about if human behavior must always be regulated as in the physical world. Having pseudonymous and being free are attractive aspects of the metaverse but can we, as humans, be completely free and civil?

The current answer we have for the issue of virtual identity experimentation is that, just as with most social interactive experiences, we must tread with caution and social empathy, constantly having in mind that our actions in the metaverse can cause impacts in the real world.

Chyung Eun-ju (ejchyung@snu.ac.kr) is studying for a master's degree in marketing at Seoul National University. Joel Cho (joelywcho@gmail.com) is a practicing lawyer specializing in IP and digital law.