As part of the 15th Internet Governance Forum Germany, the project ‘Child protection and children's rights in the digital world’ held a workshop on the topic of children's rights in the metaverse on 11 September. Together with the participants, the aim was to identify the opportunities and risks associated with the metaverse for children and young people in order to determine which issues and topics are particularly pressing in this context and therefore need to be addressed.

In a brief introduction, the right to non-discrimination, the primary consideration of the best interests of the child, the right to life and development and the right to participation were discussed and awareness was raised of the fact that these fundamental principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child must also guide the development of the metaverse in order to enable young people to have experiences in line with their developing abilities and to realise their rights. In a dialogue, the participants reported on their own experiences or experiences in their community. Initial encounters in virtual spaces were described as very impressive but also very overwhelming. Among other things, this was due to the preliminary designs that characterise atmospheres that are difficult to escape. It was also argued that the possibility of using contacts, characteristics or skills across different services represents added value, but also leads to a further centralisation of personal data. The concern about a monopolisation of knowledge about users was mentioned critically in this context.

In conclusion, it was noted that AI-based applications and virtual reality are already having an impact on our everyday lives and will play an increasingly important role in the future with the spread of the metaverse. Experience has shown that young people are among the first users in this field (early adopters). A proactive digital policy must therefore create the conditions to enable everyone to utilise the associated opportunities without discrimination and to manage the risks. In order to realise the rights of young people in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the digital environment, existing regulatory approaches should be examined for their suitability for future technologies and new approaches developed where necessary. It is also important to promote competences for the responsible use of AI- based applications, virtual realities and the metaverse - including by minors.