The Metaverse, an innovative complex virtual environment that’s emerging as the next online frontier, is fraught with risks to children including online bullying, grooming, and identity theft. The new landmark Australian standard AS 5402:2025 Children’s Safety in the Metaverse provides a framework for advancing children’s safety in the Metaverse with a focus on privacy and accessibility. Recent research by Standards Australia involving 1,000 parents and 300 teachers shows alarming gaps in public awareness. While two-thirds of Metaverse users are under the age of 16, a significant 83% of parents and 70% of teachers either don’t know or are unsure what the Metaverse actually is, 30% of parents admit they have no idea who their kids interact with in virtual worlds, and only 44% of parents are aware of the risks associated with Metaverse use for children, find out more here.
The new standard provides guidance to business and industry to make empowerment and safety the top priority. It sets out layers of protection and reporting that these parties should consider seriously and highlights the need for collaboration between Metaverse platform developers, policymakers, and families to create safer online environments for children. FREE, limited non-commercial access to AS 5402:2025 Children’s Safety in the Metaverse for personal, domestic, or household use is available via Standards Australia’s Reader Room.
CFA engages with these issues as part of the CFA Standards Project supporting a representative to the Standards committee MV-002 Metaverse Project which developed the standard. The CFA’s representative ensures the impact on Australian consumers is always a central part of the committee’s deliberations. Find out why standards are important to consumers, and how you can Volunteer as a Representative of CFA on a Standards Australia committee.