Session
Organizer 1: Seerat Khan, Digital Rights Foundation
Speaker 1: Shmyla Khan, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Nighat Dad, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Hera Hussain, Civil Society, Eastern European Group
Seerat Khan, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Seerat Khan, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Seerat Khan, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Panel - Auditorium - 60 Min
1. After a researcher’s avatar was sexually assaulted in the metaverse, what measures were taken to ensure that toxic behaviours are controlled?
2. With respect to the design of metaverse, how have the developers ensured that the platform is human-centric and built in a human-rights based manner?
3. With respect to sexual assault and abuse in virtual reality platforms whether criminalization is warranted and how? What laws and policies are applicable to the virtual acts of sexual violence?
4. As virtual reality planforms evolve towards more embodied digital representations, how do users construct and experience their self and interact with others’ selves? What impact does this have on how experiences of sexual violence are committed and experienced?
Connection with previous Messages:
5. Gender Equality
Targets: The panel discusses how virtual reality platforms can ensure gender equality by ending all forms of discrimination against all women, trans and non binary individuals.
Description:
Advanced digital technologies including AI are increasingly becoming a part of our lives, especially with the new Meta VR experience that would connect people on a global level online. Users will now be able to experience the Meta universe through virtual reality augmented worlds created online and be able to meet friends, attend events and interact through the app.
According to new research, the metaverse could amplify the online harms and human rights violations that Meta is failing to address on its current platforms, which is not only harming communities but also ruining Meta’s own reputation.
Researchers and users have documented incidents of sexual violence, proliferation of violent content, and hate speech in both Meta's and competitors' apps accessed through the Oculus headset, despite Meta's claims to increase safety measures and apply community guidelines in its metaverse. Toxic behaviour thrives with little moderation, normalising sexual harassment, particularly among female-appearing and female-sounding avatars.
The panel will be a multi-stakeholder discussion to explore how Meta and other platforms is taking measures to these evolving technologies in a human-centric and human rights-based manner.
1. Enhancing understanding of the Metaverse, it’s operations and the polices to restrict human rights abuses
2. Seeking to explore the discrepancy between user concerns and designs in protecting their safety in virtual reality applications
3. Working towards human-centric policy-making and internet governance for AI and VR
4. Seeking to understand the distinction between sexual violence targeted at an individual vs an avatar and understanding the ramifications of these violent incidents translated into online virtual reality universes
Hybrid Format: The hybrid model is best suited for the session with speakers joining from across the globe in the session easily. Some speakers have been contacted by DRF who still haven't gotten back to us and given travel restrictions the hybrid model will ensure that IGF is not only limited to the people attending the session only. We plan on using Zoom as an online tool and connecting with our speakers through the video sharing app
Usage of IGF Official Tool.