On virtual worlds – opportunities, risks and policy implications for the single market
A-9-2023-0397
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection · Rapporteur: Pablo Arias Echeverría
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Parliament's resolution on virtual worlds sets out general principles, internal market and consumer protection measures, and sustainability requirements for the development of virtual worlds and Web 4.0.¶¶¶ It welcomes the Commission's communication on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds, calls for a human-centric and sustainable strategy, and notes the absence of a universally agreed definition of virtual worlds.¶¶ It asks the Commission to monitor virtual worlds, report every two years, conduct regular checks on the adequacy of the digital single market legislative framework, and put forward legislative proposals where necessary.¶¶ It calls for investment in infrastructure, skills, and research, and for measures to ensure accessibility, inclusion, data protection, and protection of minors in virtual worlds.¶¶¶ It stresses the need for interoperability, open standards, and a level playing field to prevent quasi-monopolies, and welcomes the Commission's engagement with multi-stakeholder governance initiatives.¶¶ It highlights the environmental impact of virtual worlds and calls for sustainable development, including the use of critical raw materials and reduction of energy consumption.¶¶¶
Committee position. The committee proposes that Parliament welcome the Commission's communication, call for monitoring and regular fitness checks of the digital single market, and support investment, interoperability, accessibility, and protection of consumers and minors, without new ex novo regulation for now.¶¶¶
Key points
- Welcomes the Commission communication of 11 July 2023 on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds, and underlines that any strategy must be sustainable and human-centric while protecting EU values.¶
- Notes the lack of a universally recognised definition of virtual worlds and the resulting lack of policy coordination, and acknowledges the Commission's efforts to define them based on immersivity, synchronicity and persistence.¶
- Underlines the need to distinguish existing digital instruments from emerging technologies based on research and technical specificities, and to explore standardisation of the sector.¶
- Observes that the Commission communication does not yet indicate the need for precise legislative action, but stresses the importance of assessing issues and ensuring a clear regulatory framework when the technology matures.¶
- Welcomes recent regulatory developments such as the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, and Data Act, and calls on the Commission to conduct regular checks on the adequacy and consistency of the digital single market framework, making the results public.¶
- Invites the Commission to draft a report every two years on virtual worlds and to pay attention to problems such as disinformation, illegal content, cybercrime, and manipulative design, considering existing and forthcoming legislation.¶
- Points to the economic potential of virtual worlds and the need for investment in infrastructure, research, innovation, and re- and up-skilling, with costs aiming to have a neutral impact on consumer prices.¶
- Signals the potential positive impact on employment and stresses the need to invest in reskilling, attract and retain talent, and promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the EU.¶
- Emphasises the need for the EU to lead in shaping virtual worlds that respect EU values and fundamental rights, and to foster a level playing field for European SMEs and competitive companies.¶
- Underlines the need for interoperability and open standards to prevent quasi-monopolies, and welcomes the Commission's engagement with multi-stakeholder governance institutions and support for standards initiatives.¶¶
- Stresses the need for virtual worlds to be open, inclusive, and accessible, particularly for people with disabilities, and calls on the Commission to monitor the fitness of the European Accessibility Act and Web Accessibility Directive.¶
- Calls for attention to data protection, addictive design, health issues, and the protection of minors, including age-appropriate design and parental control measures.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- Consumers, especially vulnerable groups such as minors, the elderly, and people with disabilities, who face risks in virtual worlds.¶¶¶
- European small and medium-sized enterprises, which need a level playing field and interoperability to compete.¶¶
- The Commission, which is asked to monitor, report, and assess the need for legislation on virtual worlds.¶¶¶
- Member States and their parliaments, to which the resolution is forwarded.¶
Figures and deadlines
- 46 % of Europeans affected by the digital divide¶
- one in 10 women have experienced some form of cyber violence since the age of 15¶
- total cost of deploying 5G in all EU Member States between 281 and 391 billion euros by 2025¶
- electricity consumption by large data centres currently accounts for 1-1.5 % of global electricity use¶
Legal basis: Article 24 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights¶