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The Metaverse is a virtual online would in which people interact as digital characters (so-called avatars). A metaverse can be accessed either in 2D via a screen or in 3D using virtual reality headsets. This allows users to immerse themselves much more deeply in these worlds than in the traditional internet. On Metaverse platforms, people can talk to each other, play games, watch videos, exercise and even shop.

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Did you think the hype was already over? More than 400 million people worldwide are already using the Metaverse. Around 80% of them are under the age of 16! Well-known platforms include Roblox, Horizon Worlds, VRChat and Decentraland.

Source: Huang, L., Goh, D. H. L., & Yin, S. X. (2025). Drivers and Barriers of Metaverse Adoption Among Children and Youth. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2504199

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At the moment, the Metaverse is primarily operated by large, profit-oriented companies. As a result, using the Metaverse is usually not truly free, even if it may appear that way. This can mean that your data is collected and processed in order to show you targeted advertising.

These companies can also influence whether the Metaverse develops into a friendly and safe environment or whether a disrespectful tone prevails. That is why it is important to know who owns a particular Metaverse world before entering it and to understand the company's business model. In other words: how it makes its money.

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The Metaverse can be just as addictive as traditional video games or social networks. One study estimates that between 2% and 20% of Metaverse users may be at risk of addiction. As virtual reality applications continue to evolve and enable deeper immersion in virtual environments, the risk of addiction could become particularly significant.

Source: Barreda-Ángeles, M., & Hartmann, T. (2022). Hooked on the metaverse? Exploring the prevalence of addiction to virtual reality applications. Frontiers in virtual reality, 3, 1031697.

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For 42% of respondents, the opportunities of the Metaverse - that is, its positive aspects - slightly or even strongly outweigh the potential risks. These individuals primarily see new possibilities, for example in education, work or social interaction.

On the other hand, 38% state that, for them, the risks outweigh the benefits. These concerns mainly relate to data protection, potential addiction and the risk of harassment in virtual spaces.

Source: These are conclusion s from a representative survey associated to the PRiME-Project.

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In the Metaverse, there are two main types of risks to our privacy: data protection risks and personality rights risks. Data protection risks arise when personal data is collected, stored or shared - often without users fully understanding how it is being used. Examples include the collection of personal information such as amenities, address or banking details, as well as the recording of biometric data such as movement patterns, eye tracking or heart rate through VR technology. Personality rights risks primarily relate to the behavior of other people in the Metaverse. These involve harassment, disrespectful conduct or abuse in direct interactions. Examples include harassment or insults by other users or identity theft when someone creates an avatar that closely resembles you.

Leider Falsch!

Im Metaverse werden sehr viele unterschiedliche Daten über dich registriert, ausgewertet und gespeichert, oft weit mehr als man aus dem klassischen Internet kennt. Neben offensichtlichen Informationen können die Systeme auch die oben genannten Daten erfassen, um daraus Rückschlüsse auf dein Verhalten und sogar deine Stimmung zu ziehen.

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We conducted a survey and found that around half of the people in Germany have at least heard about data collection in the Metaverse. Thirteen percent event state that they are very well informed about the topic. At the same time, a different picture emerges: around 50% do not know at all which data is collected in the Metaverse and what happens to it. This is despite the fact that 94% say that data proctection is (very) important to them.

This is a problem: without knowledge about data collection, many people lack the ability to protect their privacy and handle their information in a self determined way

The data is based on a representative survey of the PRiME project. You can find more information here: https://privacy-metaverse.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Poster-Josephs-Ausstellung-Sicherheit-im-Metaverse.pdf

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Companies generate revenue in the Metaverse in various ways. One important source of income is advertising based on the analysis of user data. However, there are many other ways to make money in the digital world. This means that your data and your privacy do not necessarily have to be used as a form of payment.

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In addition to collecting and using your data, some companies also employ certain design tricks to keep you on their platforms longer or to encourage you to make purchases. These tactics are already used across the wider internet, but they can also be applied to Metaverse platforms. Dark patterns are methods that are deliberately designed to nudge users into making decisions they might not have made otherwise.Examples include free trial subscriptions that do not end automatically, so users are charged without realizing it. Another example is psychological pressure created by messages such as "only 3 items left in stock", which are designed to make products seem scarce and push people to buy more quickly. In the Metaverse, such dark patterns could have become even more problematic than in today's internet. Due to the three-dimensional, interactive environments, manipulative elements may be easier to conceal and users might overlook them or respond to them unconsciously.

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Social engineering means that criminals deceive other users using psychological tricks. In this way, they persuade users to disclose confidential information or even unintentionally create security vulnerabilities. In the Metaverse, this in particularly dangerous because impersonation (for example through fake avatars) can be much harder to detect.

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In the Metaverse, people interact as avatars: anonymously and seemingly without consequences. In a study conducted in the United States, 38% of adolescents reported having experienced cyberbullying. As many as 44% had encountered hate speech and 19% even reported sexual harassment. Virtual harassment in the Metaverse may have a greater impact than on other online platforms. This is because people communicate and move through their avatars which can appear highly realistic. This shows that, in addition to data protection, there are significant risks in direct interactions that can make the Metaverse an unsafe environment.

Source: Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2024). Metaverse risks and harms among US youth: Experiences, gender differences, and prevention and response measures. New Media & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241284413

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We spoke with experts about how the Metaverse can become safer in the future. Many users are not even aware of how much personal data is collected in the Metaverse. That is why experts call for short, clear information and simple options that allow users to decide for themselves what they want to share.

Protection against harassment is also crucial. Possible measures include safety zones around avatars, clear codes of conduct and effective blocking functions. To prevent identity misuse, strict verification procedures and secure registration processes are also recommended. At the same time, data should remain as anonymous  and encrypted as possible to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. However, most experts do not support requiring users to appear under their real names.