Legal Implications of Self-presence in the Metaverse

The relationship between people and their avatars in computer-generated environments remains a puzzling matter, especially when harm to an avatar negatively affects the person possessing the avatar. Drawing on the theories of digital equivalence, we highlight the unprecedented development of the metaverse and illustrate the evolution of self-presence in that digital sphere. We then use Lawrence Lessig’s New Chicago School model to analyse how self-presence in the metaverse is regulated by technology, social norms, market forces and the law. While the independent and joint effects of these regulatory factors are constantly evolving, they all play distinct and important roles in shaping self-presence in the metaverse.