The Metaverse: Litigation Challenges

The metaverse has been described as the future of the internet. Although its development remains at an early stage, established and emerging companies are spending millions developing metaverse technologies. While a virtual-reality parallel universe is likely several years away, as we have seen with the conventional internet, entirely new areas of law have developed to address the online world. Cyberattack or data breach class actions have become common. No matter what form the metaverse ultimately takes, the law will develop in response.

This bulletin is the first in a two-part series that considers the unique legal issues that the metaverse might raise. Here, we focus on the litigation challenges posed by the metaverse, with a focus on potential privacy and product liability litigation. In our next bulletin, we will look at key regulatory privacy considerations for organizations considering launching in the metaverse.