France Publishes Metaverse Consultation, Seeking Alternative to Dominance by Web Giants

The French Economy Ministry wants to stop dominance by international internet giants in the metaverse, according to a consultation published Tuesday.

The government of Emmanuel Macron is seeking views on policy issues including privacy, health and environmental risks of virtual worlds as it seeks to create what it calls "digital sovereignty" for Europe - a frequent code for having homegrown alternatives to U.S. companies such as Meta Platforms.

"The immersive virtual worlds of tomorrow can take many forms," said the consultation which is open until May 2, with virtual and augmented reality, game engines and the blockchain technology that underpins cryptocurrency among them. The goal is to "propose an alternative to the virtual online worlds today put forward by international giants."

During his 2022 election campaign, Macron spoke of the need to build a European metaverse, and officials in the European Union are also set to produce an EU strategy on virtual worlds in May. A European Commission consultation published last week raised the risk of big "gatekeepers" blocking out competition from smaller players, as well as fundamental rights issues such as openness and equality.

Edited by Stephen Alpher.

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

Jack Schickler

Jack Schickler is a CoinDesk reporter focused on crypto regulations, based in Brussels, Belgium. He doesn’t own any crypto.

Follow @jackschickler on Twitter

Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.

Drive the Crypto Policy Conversation Forward