Introduction to the special issue on governing the metaverse through the lens of the public sphere

The evolution and proliferation of virtual worlds – referred to under the umbrella term ‘metaverse’ – has given rise to an additional virtual public sphere offering the public enhanced possibilities for public interaction via immersive forms of multi-modal communication. In doing so, the metaverse poses a disruptive technological innovation that can radically reshape how people encounter and communicate with one another, how power is exercised and, ultimately, how rights are enjoyed and protected. The metaverse as a new virtual public sphere poses an urgent challenge to existing governance frameworks in the EU. This editorial advocates a three-dimensional approach centered around three interconnected questions: what aspects of public life are moving into virtual environments, who controls the infrastructures through which that movement occurs, and who can legitimately determine the rules under which life in those environments is conducted. It underscores the need for a comprehensive, functional approach to governance to accurately identify what conditions must be fulfilled for the metaverse to develop as a robust virtual public sphere that safeguards democracy and the rule of law.