A Chinese state-owned company has submitted proposals to the UN for digital ID requirements for the metaverse. Bill Drexel, an associate fellow for the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), warned that allowing the Chinese government to have a hand in shaping global metaverse regulations could lead to a tyrannical future for virtual users.
"China is not unique in thinking about how to govern the metaverse, but its drive to control, censor and repress its population online should give the world pause for any of its efforts to do so, especially in multilateral fora," Drexel said in an interview with Federal Newswire. "Based on how the Chinese government already leverages new technologies to bolster its authoritarianism online and offline, we should expect that its attempts to push stringent identity regulations on the metaverse will only result in a more authoritarian digital future if successful. China Mobile’s work in the UN is particularly concerning because it could shape norms around the world, accelerating Beijing’s longstanding aim to make a ‘world safe for autocracy."
China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications operator, submitted the proposals to the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the agency that determines global standards for technology, Politico reported. The proposals describe a Digital Identity System, which could be applied to all metaverse or online virtual world users.
The proposed digital ID would collect a wide range of personal data points about users and could potentially be stored permanently, Politico reported. China Mobile recommended the data be shared with law enforcement “to keep the order and safety of the virtual world.”
The proposals included an example of a user named Tom who “spreads rumors and makes chaos in the metaverse." With the digital ID requirements in place, law enforcement would be able to quickly identify Tom and penalize him, according to Politico.
Experts are warning the proposed digital ID system bears similarities to China's social credit system, which was first introduced in 2014 and has been gradually adopted by Chinese agencies and officials. Through the social credit system, individuals receive scores that correspond to their trustworthiness. They risk being barred from certain services for behavior deemed improper, the Politico report said.
The UN's ITU launched its metaverse focus group in December, and the group is expected to vote on China Mobile's proposals at its next meeting, which is scheduled for October in Geneva, Politico reported. The group's last meeting took place in Shanghai in July. One focus group contributor told Politico American and European organizations are submitting fewer proposals than Chinese organizations.
There are already more than 400 million monthly active users in the metaverse, which includes augmented reality, virtual reality, non-fungible tokens (NFT), blockchain technology, AI and popular games like Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft, according to lnfluencer MarketingHub.
