IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics in XR: Trolling, Harassment, and Online Safety in Social and Multi-user Spaces
In 2021, IEEE convened the Ethics in XR initiative to explore issues within the development and usage of XR and to provide recommendations for aligning XR with ethical standards. Sara Carbonneau, Michelle Cortese, Jessica Outlaw, and Thommy Eriksson all contributed to a chapter on Social and Multi-user Spaces in VR: Trolling, Harassment, and Online Safety.
In this chapter, we outline some of the key forms of harassment taking place in online spaces, such as trolling, griefing, sexual harassment, racist or homophobic comments, and violent threats, and their prevalence.
The primary way we recommend combatting virtual harassment is through the creation of social norms. While product developers tend to focus on technical solutions or formal moderation, establishing social norms can create environments that are moderated by the users themselves. We recommend creating social norms using the building blocks of culture:
- Stories and myths
- Trendsetters of behavior (heroes, mascots, etc.)
- Signals of belonging
- Language
- Rituals and ceremonies
Michelle Cortese, another co-author, also offers excellent design principles for ethical interaction design with an eye towards preventing harassment. These principles include:
- Treat virtual embodiment with the weight of physical presence.
- Consider proxemics when designing and comprehending virtual space.
- Always communicate consent.
- Provide quick-action remediation tools for tough situations.
- Allow users to define their preferences before social interactions begin.
- Establish local behavior expectations.
To more deeply explore these design principles or using social norms to combat harassment, read the full paper here. And to read other chapters of the IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Extended Reality, click here. And many thanks to Thommy Ericksson for his contributions to the chapter as well.
We look forward to sharing additional IEEE Ethics in XR chapters as they are published. In addition to our chapter you can find now:
- Extended Reality (XR) and the Erosion of Anonymity and Privacy
- Who Owns Our Second Lives: Virtual Clones and the Right to your Identity
- Extended Reality (XR) Ethics in Education
Follow IEEEVR on twitter for the latest updates and forthcoming chapters.
