ABSTRACT. The metaverse is a growing virtual world, but governing it is challenging. This research examines governance issues and opportunities by comparing policies across platforms and countries. Survey data shows 61.5% find governance clear, but 23.1% doubt privacy protection (Survey Q1, Q2). Juris dictional boundaries hinder rules, with 57.7% seeing them as barriers (Survey Q3). Only 48.1% believe governance includes all stakeholders, and 50% question enforcing laws on decentralized platforms (Survey Q4, Q5). Western frameworks like GDPR are favored by 53.8%, but global agreement is missing (Survey Q6). Ethical concerns persist, with 21.2% noting weak integration (Survey Q7). However, 73.1% see potential for new policies (Survey Q8). Literature highlights privacy risks, ethical gaps, and decentralized system flaws (Huang et al., 2023; Goldberg and Schär, 2023). The study suggests global cooperation, inclusive rules, and better privacy measures to improve governance. It aims to guide policymakers in creating fair, safe, and innovative metaverse regulations.

Keywords: metaverse; governance; privacy; ethics; decentralization; policy innovation; jurisdictional boundaries; data security; inclusivity; global frameworks

How to cite: Nica, E., Szpilko, D., and Burcea, Ș. G. (2023). “Governance Challenges and Opportunities in the Metaverse: A Comparative Policy Analysis,” Smart Governance 2(1): 7–21. doi: 10.22381/sg2120231.

Received 6 January 2023 • Received in revised form 25 March 2023
Accepted 27 March 2023 • Available online 28 March 2023