META-TOO hosted a panel discussion on inappropriate social interactions in the Metaverse as part of the second EMRN Conference: “A Metaverse for the Good”, organized by the MetaverseUA Chair and held in Alicante, Spain, 11-12 June 2025.
The panel brought together a multidisciplinary group of experts from the fields of neuroscience, ethics, social sciences, and computer science, including:
- Laurynas Adomaitis – RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
- Beatrice de Gelder – Maastricht University
- Mel Slater – Universitat de Barcelona
- Mavi Sanchez Vives – Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer
The session was presented by Katja Zibrek (Inria) and moderated by Michèle Barbier (Inria).
The discussion focused on the realism of social virtual reality (VR) experiences and the psychological and ethical implications of actions within virtual environments. Key themes included:
- The extent to which users perceive VR interactions as “real”
- The ethical responsibility for behavior in immersive digital spaces
- Design principles for creating respectful and safe social VR environments
The event highlighted the urgent need for responsible innovation and ethical frameworks in the rapidly evolving metaverse landscape.
META-TOO is proud to contribute to the ongoing dialogue around digital rights, XR ethics, and inclusive virtual futures.
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