Marketing In The Metaverse: Transparency Obligations For Restoring The Basic Truth-In Advertising Principle

The immersive nature of the metaverse is populated by virtual influencers, venues and events that create totally unreal consumers experiences. The paper aims to study this phenomenon and its impacts on the end-users from a legal and socio-ethical perspective. As hyper-realistic virtual humans are designed to have human-like features and behaviours, it is increasingly difficult for consumers to distinguish virtuality from real-life. The same issue arises with the use of photo editing softwares to enhance the beauty of images, alter the product’s characteristics and make them more appealing. Many warn of the serious consequences coming if we can no longer trust any of the information we consume. Based on the review and evaluation of the applicable hard and soft law, the paper addresses the gaps in existing transparency obligations and reflects on the per se misleading nature of any virtual testimonial or endorsement of products.