Abstract

The Internet as a medium of social communication has a multifaceted impact on reality, and therefore any changes affecting the evolution of this medium attract the attention of researchers. One such change could be the popularisation of the metaverse. The article focuses on an important aspect of this dissemination - its effects in the context of the potential of virtual worlds as an environment creating favourable conditions for socially irresponsible corporate behaviour.

The results of a survey conducted on a sample of 300 organisations present in the Metaverse indicate that they not only perceive the virtual world as an area of new opportunities for socially irresponsible activities, but also agree on the high level of willingness of companies to take advantage of these opportunities, including actions that violate both ethical and legal norms. These findings provide a better understanding of the consequences of the proliferation of virtual worlds, and argue for the need to monitor the pace of their dissemination and undertake studies on appropriate regulations to protect the interests of various stakeholder groups.

Keywords: Metaverse; corporate social irresponsibility; Internet; social communication; Web 3.0

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