Abstract

The metaverse describes persistent and interconnected 3D multi-user environments that are characterized by the fusion of physical and virtual worlds. Fueled by the rebranding of Meta, the metaverse is experiencing a resurgence and has attracted the attention of practitioners and scholars, resulting in a new wave of publications. While cutting-edge technologies offer unprecedented immersive experiences, users face new privacy situations as metaverse technologies require extensive data collection. Additionally, the spatial nature of the metaverse allows for the observation of digital footprints. This changing context of data disclosure necessitates a re-evaluation of privacy. Building on the Multidimensional Development Theory as an overarching framework, I conducted 35 expert interviews, resulting in 16 emerging privacy challenges and corresponding privacy protection measures. With these findings, this paper contributes to research on today’s metaverse by empirically investigating privacy as a crucial aspect and providing practical recommendations for organizations to mitigate negative user reactions.

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Paper Number 1246; Track Cybersecurity; Complete Paper

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