On 25 September, META-TOO joined the European Researchers’ Night 2026 with activities in both Greece and France, bringing research on safety, social interaction and bystander behaviour in virtual worlds closer to the public.
Researchers from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique (Inria), two META-TOO partners, engaged visitors through interactive activities designed to encourage reflection on a common question: How can we make social virtual worlds safer and more inclusive for everyone?
Exploring safety and bystander behaviour in Athens
At the Researchers’ Night at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), the NKUA team introduced visitors to key questions addressed by META-TOO through interactive educational material and discussions.
One activity focused on the safety tools available in social Virtual Reality, such as Mute, Block, Personal Space, and Report. Visitors were encouraged to consider which tools they might use in different situations involving unwanted behaviour and how these mechanisms can support users in maintaining control over their virtual experiences.
A second activity invited visitors to consider a different perspective: What would you do if you were a bystander?
Through scenarios involving unwanted behaviour in virtual environments, participants explored different possible responses, from checking whether someone needs help or asking another user to stop, to seeking an appropriate safety tool. The activity introduced the concept of the bystander effect and encouraged discussion about the role that each of us can play in creating safer and more inclusive online communities.
Stepping into social VR with Inria in France
In France, the Inria team presented META-TOO alongside the SAFE-VR project at “Mondes numériques”, held at I-Factory in Villeurbanne. Visitors were invited to put on a VR headset and step directly into social Virtual Reality scenarios.
Through the immersive demonstration, participants could explore social VR situations, identify inappropriate behaviours, and experience first-hand the challenges involved in deciding whether and how to intervene as a bystander.
The team also presented “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Social Virtual Reality”, taking visitors through some of the opportunities and challenges of social VR and introducing the research being conducted to make virtual worlds safer and more inclusive.
Safer together in virtual worlds
Across both events, visitors were encouraged not only to learn about emerging virtual technologies, but also to reflect on their own choices and actions within digital social spaces.
The activities highlighted one of the central ideas behind META-TOO: making virtual worlds safer is not simply a matter of developing better technological tools. It also requires understanding human behaviour, social dynamics and the ways in which users respond to difficult or inappropriate situations.
By engaging directly with the public in Greece and France, the NKUA and Inria teams brought these questions beyond the research environment and created opportunities for discussion, experimentation and reflection.
Together, we can contribute to safer and more inclusive virtual worlds.
META-TOO is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme.