The META-TOO project was recently featured in a webinar organised by the Women in Digital, bringing together research and philosophical perspectives on one of the most pressing challenges facing immersive technologies: how to make social virtual reality (VR) safer, more inclusive, and ethically designed.
The webinar featured Michèle Barbier, ethics specialist, who presented the META-TOO project, alongside Mariachiara Tirinzoni, philosopher, who explored the ethical foundations of technology design.
Addressing harassment in social VR
During the webinar, Michèle Barbier presented the project’s ongoing work, highlighting how harassment in immersive environments can have profound psychological effects due to the embodied and highly interactive nature of social VR. Unlike traditional online interactions, users experience virtual spaces through avatars, voice communication, and real-time social presence, making inappropriate behaviour feel immediate and personal.
She also discussed the limitations of existing safety mechanisms on current social VR platforms, many of which are reactive and become effective only after harmful interactions have occurred. META-TOO addresses these challenges through interdisciplinary research combining computer science, psychology, ethics, and law.
The project is developing new frameworks for understanding inappropriate social interactions, exploring consent-based interaction mechanisms and human-AI moderation, while investigating the emotional impact of harassment under different virtual scenarios. An Ethics Advisory Board supports the research throughout the project, ensuring that participant wellbeing and ethical considerations remain central to the experimental design.
Ethics beyond technology
The second part of the webinar shifted from technological solutions to the broader ethical questions surrounding digital environments.
Mariachiara Tirinzoni argued that technology is never neutral: every platform, interface, and design choice reflects assumptions about users and society. She highlighted how standards and default settings can unintentionally privilege some groups while excluding others, making diversity and inclusive design essential components of ethical innovation.
Introducing the concept of moral imagination, she encouraged designers, researchers, and policymakers to consider the experiences of people whose perspectives differ from their own. Building ethical technologies requires not only technical safeguards but also the ability to anticipate how design decisions affect diverse communities.
Building safer and more inclusive immersive environments
The discussion highlighted the importance of combining technological innovation with ethical reflection. As immersive technologies become increasingly integrated into everyday life, ensuring that social VR environments are safe, inclusive, and respectful must become a priority from the earliest stages of design.
META-TOO contributes to this goal by generating scientific evidence, developing practical safety solutions, and fostering collaboration across disciplines. The project will continue to share its research findings and recommendations with developers, policymakers, researchers, and the wider XR community throughout its duration.
We thank the Women in Digital network for the invitation and for organising this timely discussion, as well as everyone who joined the webinar and contributed to the conversation on building a more inclusive future for immersive technologies.
Webinar recording link: https://youtu.be/nLac9PUbH8E