Recommendations for metaverse governance based on technical standards

Abstract

Technical standards in digital technology can now be utilised to gather numerous digital sub-universes into the metaverse. However, how to create and implement guidance for the metaverse based on technical standards remains unexplored. This study investigated the theoretical framework and policy implications for future technical standards-based metaverse governance (TS-MG). The methodology entailed reviewing the available metaverse governance literature to establish both theoretical and case analyses of practices based on the economics of standards and the theory of networks. This study found that TS-MG encompasses the formulation, security, and compatibility of technical standards. TS-MG should enable the first-mover advantage of standards formulation for standard-setting organisations. It also includes phased governance policies that balance the compatibility and security of standards in the initial, growth, and mature stages of the metaverse. This study highlights the necessity of cooperation among governments, standard-setting organisations, and enterprises to (1) accelerate the development of systemised standards and (2) promote the effective supply of metaverse standards.