Bitkom's Feedback to the European Commission's Survey »Shape Web 4.0. Virtual worlds & Web 4.0 governance«
“The governance of the new frontier for the internet is still an unchartered territory,” the EU Commission and its two research partners stated in a survey on the topic of “Shape Web 4.0. Virtual worlds & Web 4.0 governance”. In our response to the corresponding questionnaire, we point out that the topic of metaverse/virtual worlds/Web 4.0 does not have to be started from scratch.
We show which central elements will make up Web 4.0 and what advantages it will bring. We explain that Web 4.0 does not yet exist and that the path to Web 4.0 is still facing challenges. However, we also make it clear that its predecessors are already in use and are creating added value today.
We also name the key technologies of Web 4.0 and their maturity. We then explain what steps need to be taken to facilitate the transition to Web 4.0 in multi-stakeholder settings and what values and principles should underpin the governance of virtual worlds and Web 4.0. We also look at how user rights such as privacy, data protection, universal access and freedom of expression will develop in Web 4.0.
