Prof. Dr. Roman Rietsche is a professor of Business Informatics and Artificial Intelligence at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH). His research focuses on digital communication and virtual environments. Previously, he served as a research associate, postdoctoral researcher, and project manager at the Institute of Information Management at the University of St. Gallen.

Information Sharing in the Metaverse

In everyday life, we share information to gain knowledge or build relationships, often requiring the disclosure of personal details. Whether we do so largely depends on the environment: we're generally more open in private spaces than in public ones. However, in the Metaverse, these boundaries are less defined, as physical constraints like hearing range may not apply or operate differently.

The Role of Audience and Immersion

One significant factor in information sharing is the presence of an audience—individuals who may overhear without actively participating in the conversation. Knowing or suspecting that others are listening can influence our behavior. Additionally, the degree of immersion—or how deeply we are absorbed in the virtual world—plays a crucial role. Higher immersion can lead to greater focus on the virtual environment, drawing attention away from the real world.

The Experiment

To explore these dynamics, Prof. Dr. Roman Rietsche and his research team conducted a controlled experiment. Participants were divided into groups with variations in two factors:

• Presence of Audience: Participants either knew for certain that a third person was listening to their conversation or were uncertain if anyone else was present.
• Level of Immersion: Participants used either a laptop (low immersion) or a Virtual Reality headset (high immersion) to interact in the Metaverse.

Participants were tasked with discussing their daily lives, and the research team later analyzed the extent of personal information disclosed, including factual details, thoughts, and emotions.

Findings and Implications

The study found that the presence of an audience reduced the willingness to self-disclose—but only when participants used laptops. In highly immersive VR settings, the potential presence of listeners had no effect. This suggests that in highly immersive environments, users are less aware of possible eavesdroppers and more focused on virtual interaction.

These findings carry essential implications for Metaverse platform developers. They highlight that technical features, like the level of immersion, significantly affect user behavior. Thus, aspects like privacy and security awareness should be integral to the design of such platforms.

Conclusion

Prof. Dr. Roman Rietsche’s research talk provided valuable insights into the complex interplay of technology, social interaction, and privacy in the Metaverse. His findings underscore the need to design virtual environments that offer immersive experiences while ensuring the protection of personal information—critical for making the Metaverse a safe and open space for communication.