In VR, we must abide by the same moral theories as in reality, although it allows us to enter a virtual world. I remember some previous news reports of criminals committing violent acts against others in the virtual world and even molesting women. Back in 2005, someone was arrested by the Japanese police after using software to beat up virtual people and loot their belongings in a virtual game of life and then selling them for real-world money. I remember a story from last year that was much discussed on the internet about a female VR character being raped by another male character while sleeping. While the victim didn’t physically cause some effects, there can be colossal damage psychologically. I have checked some information, and there is no clear law written out about what penalties are received for some criminal activity in the VR world. Nick Brett, a lawyer at a London law firm, has commented on these phenomena, saying, “If a woman is sexually assaulted virtually, that in itself should be illegal, but it isn’t at the moment.”
Some VR games have also added necessary measures to protect women from new forms of harassment. Meta’s Horizon Worlds, for example, has gone live with a “personal space” feature: each avatar is given a private space with a 2-foot boundary to prevent overly intimate interactions.QuiVr, a game in 2016 where female players were chased and harassed, also features a ‘power gesture’: the player simply crosses their arms to move from the current space. The creators of some games need to keep up with the times and make them more comprehensive and safe. That’s what game designers have to do.
I believe that a good VR game is not only a great experience in terms of graphics, sound, and story but also needs to have mechanisms in place to protect the user’s privacy. And to avoid unethical content and behavior, such as virtual violence and sexual assault to ensure that users can play legally.
Equally, decolonizing VR is important. Colonization is the process by which a country or region is dominated and influenced by the political, economic, and cultural power of another country or region. In the VR field, the concept of decolonization implies reflecting on and addressing issues such as racism, cultural hegemony, and Western centrism that may be present in VR technology and content. It emphasizes the importance of marginalized and oppressed voices, cultures, and perspectives and promotes the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion. The goal of decolonizing VR is to promote multicultural participation and representation, foster creative work and storytelling based on non-Western perspectives, reduce prejudice and preference for Western culture, and provide more platforms and opportunities for oppressed communities and non-mainstream perspectives.