Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
As immersive technologies rapidly move from science fiction into everyday life, questions about governance, rights, and public values become more urgent than ever. In this video, Anuj Puri postdoctoral researcher at the DIGI-APPS project, speaks with Annelieke Mooij, Assistant Professor of Administrative and Constitutional Law at Tilburg University, about the rise of Virtual Reality and the Metaverse—and why regulation cannot afford to lag behind.
The conversation unpacks the difference between Virtual Reality as a technology and the Metaverse as a connected digital ecosystem, highlighting what makes these environments fundamentally different from today’s online platforms. Annelieke explains how immersive, hyper-realistic digital spaces can amplify both opportunities and risks: from new forms of democratic participation and access to justice, to concerns about addiction, echo chambers, harmful content, and unclear rules on ownership and responsibility.
The interview also explores why existing legal frameworks may fall short, and how initiatives like the AI Act and the Digital Services Act could shape the future of virtual public spaces. At the heart of the discussion lies the mission of the DIGI-APPS project to safeguard fundamental rights in the emerging digital environments, thus ensuring that these spaces remain accessible, inclusive, and protected.
👉 Want to be a part of many such exciting conversations? Join the #DIGI-APPS LinkedIn page to stay in the loop: linkedin.com/groups/13123638
#Metaverse #VirtualReality #TechGovernance #FundamentalRights #DigitalRegulation #DigitalServicesAct #AIAct
As immersive technologies rapidly move from science fiction into everyday life, questions about governance, rights, and public values become more urgent than ever. In this video, Anuj Puri postdoctoral researcher at the DIGI-APPS project, speaks with Annelieke Mooij, Assistant Professor of Administrative and Constitutional Law at Tilburg University, about the rise of Virtual Reality and the Metaverse—and why regulation cannot afford to lag behind.
The conversation unpacks the difference between Virtual Reality as a technology and the Metaverse as a connected digital ecosystem, highlighting what makes these environments fundamentally different from today’s online platforms. Annelieke explains how immersive, hyper-realistic digital spaces can amplify both opportunities and risks: from new forms of democratic participation and access to justice, to concerns about addiction, echo chambers, harmful content, and unclear rules on ownership and responsibility.
The interview also explores why existing legal frameworks may fall short, and how initiatives like the AI Act and the Digital Services Act could shape the future of virtual public spaces. At the heart of the discussion lies the mission of the DIGI-APPS project to safeguard fundamental rights in the emerging digital environments, thus ensuring that these spaces remain accessible, inclusive, and protected.
👉 Want to be a part of many such exciting conversations? Join the #DIGI-APPS LinkedIn page to stay in the loop: linkedin.com/groups/13123638
#Metaverse #VirtualReality #TechGovernance #FundamentalRights #DigitalRegulation #DigitalServicesAct #AIAct
