The Legal Implications of the Aviation Industry’s Entrance to the Metaverse

Abstract

Background: Technological growth allows aviation companies to embrace practices and applications that improve their approaches. A concept that is fast gaining attention from firms in this area is the Metaverse. This technology, driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), improves consumer services, particularly by allowing passengers to travel virtually. Various entities already use this feature, and organisational and scholarly reports suggest that such establishments record positive outcomes. The primary goal of this analysis is to describe why operators must watch out for possible legal implications of using this tool. An important point is that they must prevent data security breaches that might violate consumers’ privacy rights. A few enterprises in this sector have become victims of infringements that resulted in data loss. Subsequently, some of these issues may proceed to court, and organisations spend many resources handling such cases. Another vital message relating to the utilisation of this innovation is that it could cause unfair competition. Particular establishments, especially those yet to deploy this idea, may claim groups that use Metaverse for exposing vital personal data to cyber attackers. Besides, the sector witnesses legal proceedings whereby some airlines blame competitors for indulging in unfair competition. While no specific Metaverse laws exist, a suitable remedy for operators is to follow legislations and policies that define AI use for commercial purposes. It is necessary to abide by regulations safeguarding consumers’ data privacy. Another solution is that corporations can adhere to international provisions such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that have a global effect. Moreover, non-compliance could cause devastating legal repercussions that harm business practices. This paper introduces these challenges and pays more attention to the practical and legal aspects. Methods: This paper retrieves data from secondary sources, encompassing websites and journal articles. The approach entails reviewing what the authors of selected works present about the topic and taking relevant information for this project. The approach saves time and is cost-effective. Results and conclusion: Various firms in the aviation sector already use Metaverse to enhance their consumer experience. Companies feel attracted because of the many merits associated with the technology. However, they must watch out for the potential limitations of using this concept. In addition, users should consider the legal aspects of the innovation.