Kenne Michael 
China reportedly plans to implement a system akin to its social credit system in the Metaverse and other online virtual worlds, based on documents viewed by POLITICO and reported on August 20.
The state-owned telecommunications company China Mobile has proposed a digital ID for all Metaverse and online virtual world users, relying on “natural characteristics” and “social characteristics” for identification. This ID would contain various personal information and identifiers to maintain order and safety in the virtual world, with data permanently stored and shared with authorities.
The system’s advantages include swift identification and punishment of problematic users, such as those who “spread rumors and cause chaos in the metaverse.” This proposal bears a resemblance to China’s social credit system, which aims to improve citizen behavior through scoring and ranking across various metrics, including enforcement measures.
In 2019, the Associated Press reported that authorities prevented 17.5 million social offenders from buying plane tickets and 5.5 million from purchasing train tickets. China Mobile presented these proposals on July 5 during discussions with a focus group on the Metaverse convened by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations communications technology agency.
Join us in Shanghai July 4-6 for our #metaverse focus group, followed by a forum on July 7 and be part of key pre-standardization effort.
With int'l #standards we can create global access to knowledge & tech for #metaverse to benefit everyone, everywhere.https://t.co/4IrlYExOjW pic.twitter.com/3XAiCu90zz— Int’l Telecommunication Union (@ITU) July 3, 2023
The Metaverse focus group will reconvene in October to deliberate on these proposals. The ITU’s Metaverse group seeks to establish new standards for metaverse services, potentially impacting telecommunications and technology companies. Notably, Chinese firms are reportedly submitting a significantly higher number of metaverse proposals in the focus group compared to American and European counterparts.