The question of interoperability in the Metaverse

Joshua Bates, TMT Associate at Global Counsel writes about the implications of ownership, security and interoperability in the metaverse

Before beginning to explore what the future of the metaverse may be, we must first answer the question of whether we are talking about the Metaverse, or metaverses. Whilst at first glance this may appear to be a grammatical choice, in truth, it speaks to a broader question of whether the Metaverse will become a singular, shared and interoperable space, or a series of isolated, but perhaps more secure, sporadically connected digital environments of metaverses.  

Whilst the first offers unlimited opportunity for collaboration, innovation and competition, it does present questions surrounding security and accountability; if nobody has ownership of the metaverse, who ultimately takes responsibility for safety? Closed-off metaverses offer a partial solution, in that whilst companies will – in principle at least - be more able to oversee and better protect user experiences, competitors could struggle to enter the market and users may feel locked into particular platforms.

When conducting our research and interviewing tech experts, regulators, and officials, we asked them for three keywords that defined the Metaverse. Interoperability was, by a considerable margin, the most used word across the UK, US and EU stakeholders we spoke to, as most felt it was a basic principle of what the metaverse should become. A common theme quickly emerged that many saw a successful metaverse as one where users could hold a consistent digital identity that could be carried in-between virtual worlds.  

Our public polling on the other hand found that the issue of interoperability was not a core concern when compared with online abuse or safety. 56% of the UK public that we polled strongly supported rules which would require tech companies to protect children by restricting their experience of the metaverse, whilst only 33% strongly supported an agreement between metaverse companies to ensure their technologies were compatible.

The continuing growth of the video game sector has evidenced how important interoperability can be to shared experiences, however, with developers realising the huge potential that interoperability between games consoles, PCs and mobile gaming can have. Cross play, whereby users can connect with friends and players from other platforms, and cross-progression, where a single account for a game can be used by a user across any device have been features warmly welcomed by the gaming community. These features have increased player bases and playtime across games such as Fortnite, Call of Duty and Overwatch significantly, bringing together users from multiple platforms. Cross-players ended up playing Fortnite about 570% more on average than non cross-players according to Epic Games’ analysis, speaking to the power cross-platforms can provide both to user enjoyment and player base for developers. 

As the Metaverse continues to develop, platforms and developers will have to attempt to navigate both security and interoperability, to ensure that users are both safe, and able to move between worlds seamlessly. Creating a wild west of interconnected, unsecure virtual experiences would risk the safety and data privacy of the public, an issue our polling has found is already front of mind. Isolated metaverse bubbles on the other hand risk hampering innovation and creating ‘walled gardens’ that limit the metaverse's full potential.

Further insight into our findings, polling and conclusions of our international research into the Metaverse can be found in our report, Regulating the metaverse - Global Counsel report | Global Counsel (global-counsel.com).

In the meantime, why not check out techUK's miniseries on the technologies underpinning the metaverse?

Digestible webinars for on-the-go or listening at home: this series will help give the wider tech sector insight as to why – and how – the metaverse ecosystem has developed in the UK, and what this may mean for this businesses in years to come.

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Laura Foster

Laura Foster

Head of Technology and Innovation, techUK

Laura is techUK’s Head of Programme for Technology and Innovation.

She supports the application and expansion of emerging technologies, including Quantum Computing, High-Performance Computing, AR/VR/XR and Edge technologies, across the UK. As part of this, she works alongside techUK members and UK Government to champion long-term and sustainable innovation policy that will ensure the UK is a pioneer in science and technology

Before joining techUK, Laura worked internationally as a conference researcher and producer covering enterprise adoption of emerging technologies. This included being part of the strategic team at London Tech Week.

Laura has a degree in History (BA Hons) from Durham University, focussing on regional social history. Outside of work she loves reading, travelling and supporting rugby team St. Helens, where she is from.

Email:
[email protected]
LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/lauraalicefoster

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Rory Daniels

Rory Daniels

Programme Manager, Emerging Technologies

Rory joined techUK in June 2023 after three years in the Civil Service on its Fast Stream leadership development programme.

During this time, Rory worked on the Government's response to Covid-19 (NHS Test & Trace), school funding strategy (Department for Education) and international climate and nature policy (Cabinet Office). He also tackled the social care crisis whilst on secondment to techUK's Health and Social Care programme in 2022.

Before this, Rory worked in the House of Commons and House of Lords alongside completing degrees in Political Economy and Global Politics.

Today, he is techUK's Programme Manager for Emerging Technologies, covering dozens of technologies including metaverse, drones, future materials, robotics, blockchain, space technologies, nanotechnology, gaming tech and Web3.0.

Email:
[email protected]
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorydaniels28/

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Elis Thomas

Elis Thomas

Programme Manager, Tech and Innovation, techUK

Elis joined techUK in December 2023 as a Programme Manager for Tech and Innovation, focusing on AI, Semiconductors and Digital ID.

He previously worked at an advocacy group for tech startups, with a regional focus on Wales. This involved policy research on innovation, skills and access to finance.

Elis has a Degree in History, and a Masters in Politics and International Relations from the University of Winchester, with a focus on the digitalisation and gamification of armed conflicts.

Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.techuk.org/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elis-thomas-49a1aa1a1/

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