Unveiling Stakeholder Perspectives on Privacy in the Metaverse: Case Study of a German Car Company

Abstract

Companies have turned their attention to becoming part of the metaverse, a persistent, multi-user, three-dimensional environment characterized by the fusion of virtual and physical elements. While the metaverse offers new ways to create value, related software and hardware components require massive amounts of user data, which can raise privacy concerns. In addition, privacy regulation is in its infancy, creating uncertainty about how to operate in a compliant manner. Building on the multi-stakeholder privacy framework, we explored the privacy stakeholders’ (user, management, policymakers) perspectives on the metaverse, analyzed their relationships, and identified measures to align their interests within a single case study of a German car company. The contribution is twofold. First, we demonstrate the importance of involving privacy stakeholders in the design of products and services in new online environments. Second, we propose privacy measures to reconcile the stakeholders’ interests in the metaverse, providing implications for managers and policymakers.