Ideas worth spreading

How to stop the metaverse from becoming the internet's bad sequel

1,538,578 views |

Micaela Mantegna |

TED2022

• April 2022

"The metaverse is already on fire, and we haven't even built it yet," says TED Fellow and video game lawyer Micaela Mantegna. She lays out why the metaverse is at risk of inheriting some of the internet's worst traits, like unchecked surveillance -- and shows how we could redirect its fate through new laws grounded in kindness and connection.

"The metaverse is already on fire, and we haven't even built it yet," says TED Fellow and video game lawyer Micaela Mantegna. She lays out why the metaverse is at risk of inheriting some of the internet's worst traits, like unchecked surveillance -- and shows how we could redirect its fate through new laws grounded in kindness and connection.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Stay informed on how the metaverse is evolving.

About the speaker

Micaela Mantegna

Micaela Mantegna

Video game lawyer

See speaker profile

TED Fellow Micaela Mantegna is a video game lawyer.

Micaela Mantegna | Medium, 2022 | Article

"How to stop the metaverse from becoming the internet’s bad sequel"

This is a companion piece to expand my TED Talk. It focuses on how the Metaverse can become the next iteration of capitalism and cognitive surveillance.

Micaela Mantegna | Berkman Klein Center Medium Collection on Medium, 2021 | Article

"The Metaverse: A brave, new (virtual) world"

If we accept the premise that on the internet "if you're not paying, you're the product," in the metaverse you will become a walking, talking billboard.

Popcannibal  | Steam, 2019 | Explore

"Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to)"

A game about writing nice letters to real people. Write and receive encouraging letters in a cozy room. Trade stickers and listen to chill music. We're all in this together. Sometimes all you need are a few kind words.

Dean Takahashi  | VentureBeat, 2022 | Article

"The ethics of the metaverse"

Conclusions about a panel discussion on the ethics of the metaverse at GamesBeat Summit: Into the Metaverse.

Micaela Mantegna  | Center for Technology and Society at San Andrés University, 2022 | Article

"I am not a robot: building an actionable ethical framework to analyze the impact dimensions of artificial intelligence"

An ethical framework to think about the different dimensions of how artificial intelligence impacts society, from becoming aware of our automated interactions to the mechanism of obfuscation in place.

Aaron Perzanowski and Jason Schultz |  MIT Press, 2018 | Book

The End of Ownership: Personal Property in the Digital Economy

An argument for retaining the notion of personal property in the products we "buy" in the digital marketplace.

| Explore

XR Guild website

The XR Guild is an association of professionals in the field of XR, spatial computing, metaverse and web3 (and related) who support a common set of ethical principles.

Micaela Mantegna  | Center for Technology and Society at San Andrés University, 2017 | Article

"Let's Play! Video games streaming and fair use in copyright law"

If streaming is a copyright infringement, why do video game publishers allow it? A paper about the legalities and particular industry circumstances surrounding the rise of video game streaming.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Stay informed on how the metaverse is evolving.