On Tuesday 28 November, members of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) adopted the own-initiative report by Pablo Arias Echeverría (EPP, Spanish) on the opportunities, risks and policy implications of virtual worlds for the single market (31 votes in favour, 2 against, 8 abstentions) (see EUROPE 13280/13).
“Europe cannot afford to be left behind in the next digital revolution or to repeat the mistakes of the past”, commented the Spanish MEP.
MEPs are therefore asking the Commission to evaluate the existing rules and, if deemed “necessary”, to present a new legislative proposal. The Commission has previously addressed the issue of virtual worlds as part of its Web 4.0 strategy, but this has not yet led to legislative measures (see EUROPE 13220/25).
The adopted report stresses that the EU should play “a leading role in the development of virtual worlds”, while emphasising fundamental rights and the highest standards of consumer protection.
The MEPs say an appropriate political framework should be created to encourage fair competition, and dialogues should be initiated with third countries on this issue.
While they recognise the opportunities that the rise of virtual worlds can represent, they are also concerned about the potential health problems resulting from interaction with these technologies, including addiction, ‘cybersickness’, sleep disorders, and their impact on children’s cognitive development.
To counter this, MEPs suggest focusing on the implementation of safe design for virtual worlds, parental control measures, information campaigns and further research into the associated risks.
Other concerns raised in the report include the handling of sensitive data, intellectual property rights, cyberviolence, financial fraud and environmental impact. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)