What are the ethical issues related to working in a virtual environment?

 

Ethical Issues Related to Working in a Virtual Environment

1.User Protection

Users may require at least some physical protection, depending on the nature of the headset. If deprived of real-time sensory feedback, users could end up walking into walls or fail to recognize key dangers in their immediate surroundings. There are already some suggested resolutions for this, including using circular walking arc to stimulate straight-line walking without ever walking past an intended boundary, but they still need time for development.

2.Ponographic Content

There already some evidence that excessive exposure to pornography could influence harmful behavior toward women. if users engage with pornographic content in an even more realistic environment, with a first-person style of interaction, what effects could that have on violent crime? The problem becomes even more complicated hen you introduce the possibility of simulated interactions with real-world people, or the possibility of virtual sexual acts that are illegal in the real world.

3.Real-World Applications

After spending too much time in a virtual environment, it may be difficult for users to return to the real world and behave the same way they did before the virtual experience. They may be desensitized to certain types of violence or interactions, which could damage their social relationships. They may also overestimate their physical abilities, attempting a jump they cant make or trying a skill they've perfected in a VR environment.

4.User Privacy

As with most technologies, we also need to think about user privacy. Users will be able to make more actions and interact with more types of content than ever before, engaging in behaviors they may avoid in the real world. Who is responsible for ensuring user's privacy, and how could this data be used ? Should it be allowed to be given to advertisers, or remain in the individual's control. This are questions that raised to the VR engineers because of ethical concern of people for their safety in their Virtual environment.

5.Virtual travel

VR could help people explore the world, introducing them to new countries and locations they might otherwise never get to visit. But what about sites that severely restrict visitors? is it ethical to allow someone to remotely visit a site that's considered holy? or allow someone to peek around an ex's apartment? what kind of limits are we going to impose for virtual travel.