Massively Multi-user Online Social Virtual Reality Systems: Ethical Issues and Risks for Long-Term Use

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Social Networks Science: Design, Implementation, Security, and Challenges

Abstract

This chapter covers the convergence of Social Media Networks and Virtual Reality Systems, labeled as Social Virtual Reality. It reviews the evolution of the World Wide Web from a single user, static experience into the futuristic 3D multi user interactive experience. This is followed by a review of bulk data collection in Virtual Reality, and the ethical risks and threats to privacy that this could create for Social Virtual Reality users. The chapter ends with recommendations to mitigate the ethical risks and threats to privacy for adult VR users, parents of VR users, psychologists, VR software and hardware manufacturers, governments and other regulatory institutions and VR researchers.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/04/facebook-spaces/.

  2. 2.

    https://altvr.com/joining-microsoft/.

  3. 3.

    https://altvr.com/good-bye/.

  4. 4.

    https://vrscout.com/news/altspacevr-is-closing-down/.

  5. 5.

    https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/28/16055222/altspacevr-virtual-reality-social-network-shutdown-funding.

  6. 6.

    https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/16/16156806/altspacevr-vr-social-network-not-shutting-down.

  7. 7.

    https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/mixed-reality.

  8. 8.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality%E2%80%93virtuality_continuum.

  9. 9.

    https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/11/16460080/facebook-spaces-live-360-degree-video-3d-posts.

  10. 10.

    http://www.statisticbrain.com/social-networking-statistics.

  11. 11.

    http://www.statisticbrain.com/social-networking-statistics/.

  12. 12.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Worlds.

  13. 13.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaxxun.

  14. 14.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X3D.

  15. 15.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web3D.

  16. 16.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaverse#Timeline_of_virtual_environments_inspired_by_the_concept.

  17. 17.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life.

  18. 18.

    https://www.sansar.com/.

  19. 19.

    https://singularityhub.com/2017/06/23/new-virtual-world-sansar-is-ready-to-pick-up-where-second-life-left-off/.

  20. 20.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Lively.

  21. 21.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20140608135859/.

  22. 22.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash.

  23. 23.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaverse.

  24. 24.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_World_Wide_Web.

  25. 25.

    http://freespeechdebate.com/cookies/.

  26. 26.

    https://searchengineland.com/its-not-about-cookies-privacy-debate-happening-at-wrong-level-77980.

  27. 27.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things.

  28. 28.

    http://time.com/4624067/amazon-echo-alexa-ces-2017/.

  29. 29.

    https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3551217.

  30. 30.

    http://komonews.com/news/consumer/personal-assistant-devices-are-always-listening-at-what-cost.

  31. 31.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebVR.

  32. 32.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/15/internet-surveillance-report-edward-snowden-leaks.

  33. 33.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_surveillance.

  34. 34.

    http://line6.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/heat-map.jpg.

  35. 35.

    http://newsroom.fb.com/news/h/facebook-does-not-use-your-phones-microphone-for-ads-or-news-feed-stories/.

  36. 36.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Frontier_Foundation.

  37. 37.

    http://cdn.windowsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Blink-face-logon.jpg.

  38. 38.

    https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/02/facial-recognition-software-sheep-pain/.

  39. 39.

    https://www.tobii.com/siteassets/tobii-tech/vr/tobii-vr-infografic.pdf/?v=1.

  40. 40.

    https://www.tobii.com/siteassets/tobii-tech/vr/tobii-whitepaper-eye-tracking-next-natural-step-for-vr.pdf/?v=1.

  41. 41.

    https://blogs.unity3d.com/2017/10/20/vr-advertising-experience-lionsgates-jigsaw-in-vr-with-a-virtual-room-ad/.

  42. 42.

    https://venturebeat.com/2017/10/25/the-vr-industry-must-avoid-intrusive-ads-for-as-long-as-possible/amp/.

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Correspondence to Jolanda Tromp .

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Tromp, J., Le, C., Le, B., Le, DN. (2018). Massively Multi-user Online Social Virtual Reality Systems: Ethical Issues and Risks for Long-Term Use. In: Dey, N., Babo, R., Ashour, A., Bhatnagar, V., Bouhlel, M. (eds) Social Networks Science: Design, Implementation, Security, and Challenges . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90059-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90059-9_7

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-90058-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-90059-9

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