The Rise of the Metaverse: Implications for Labour Law Regulators

The emergence of the metaverse as a digital ecosystem is fundamentally reshaping the organization of work, presenting both novel opportunities and unprecedented challenges for labour law regulators. This thesis addresses the central question: is a labour law of the metaverse possible? Its objective is to support regulators in understanding and managing this emerging technology and the risks it poses to workers. The study examines the transformative effects of digitalization, automation, and platformization on employment, framing the metaverse as a unique experimental space for redefining labour relations. Adopting a multidisciplinary perspective, it investigates the conceptual and technical foundations of the metaverse, its potential to reshape employment models, and the legal implications of virtual labour. Case studies of corporate adoption illustrate the dual nature of innovation and risk, particularly concerning workers’ rights, identity protection, privacy, diversity, and exposure to misconduct such as harassment. The research then identifies regulatory gaps and conducts a comparative analysis of legal responses in the U.S., U.K., and E.U., evaluating the feasibility of establishing a coherent legal framework for virtual work. Thanks to the normative analysis conducted and the conceptual foundations provided, the thesis ultimately seeks to provide an informed answer to whether a dedicated labour law of the metaverse is possibile and necessary to safeguard workers while fostering innovation in digital economies