Is the new web ethical and responsible? If the question could already be asked in the 90s with the birth of the Internet, it became clearer with the appearance of social networks which marked the advent of web2. With the arrival of web3 and new tools such as cryptocurrencies, NFTs and blockchains, the question arises again.

Web 3 is an evolution of the internet where digital ownership is made possible. It's important to distinguish it from the metaverse and immersive technologies. " Blockchain, NFTs, and augmented reality are too often lumped together, when in fact it's NFTs that enable this ownership and the transfer of ownership. NFTs are the cornerstone of Web 3, " states Lucie-Eléonore Riveron. This former auction house director now runs the NFT Factory. Located opposite the Centre Pompidou in Paris, this space champions the principles of Web 3. This evolution of the internet has brought about a true revolution in various sectors, such as the world of contemporary art. " In my previous job, I never saw a single piece of digital art sell," she testifies. "At the time, there was practically no market, apart from a very few collectors of digital art, simply because there were no marketing tools available." While NFTs didn't invent digital art, they did enable its commercialization. They created scarcity in a digital world that could be reproduced infinitely.

Towards a capitalism 3.0?

The first question posed at this roundtable was: Is Web 3 leading us toward Capitalism 3.0? " This was founded on the ideology of cyberpunks who advocated absolute decentralization," confirms Lucie Eléonore Riveron. "We know, for example, that they invented Bitcoin to bypass banks ." However, the invention of full ownership on the web, including of intangible assets, also benefits internet users. On Web 3, they are no longer required to disclose their identity. They are represented by their " wallet ," that is, a digital wallet, which acts as an identity card, a bank card, a safe, and more. It thus allows for a digital identity that is almost entirely disconnected from physical identity. " The internet user becomes the owner of their data ," she explains.

With Web 3, we are becoming familiar with the concept of "pseudonymity." If no trace of identity is possible, how can we imagine, in this context, a more ethical and responsible web? "A genuine regulation of the Web 3 community is naturally occurring," continues Lucie Eléonore Riveron. "We can't do just anything since the blockchain is transparent by definition." For his part, Louis Cacciuttolo, founder of VRrOOm , presents the concrete example of his live performance platform. " VRrOOm is a member of a Californian think tank that considers all potential physical or virtual abuses: aggression, racism, etc. There are also other monitoring bodies, such as the National XR Council ( an organization that aims to unite, structure, and develop a French center of excellence in immersive technologies, editor's note ) in France, through which it is possible to integrate moderation tools into our platform." And of course, we mustn't forget the traceability of data which, even if not used, can be useful in certain cases . Louis Cacciuttolo also mentions stories of harassment or sexual assault against avatars in the metaverse. He points out that some platforms already offer the possibility of creating a "circle of intimacy ." This allows the avatar to decide for itself the distance between itself and another.

Towards a web without intermediary?

Another issue that Web 3 raises is disintermediation. Can we imagine a web where intermediaries are eliminated and users ultimately manage their own data? " That's the advantage of NFT, since it enables decentralization, allowing content creators to connect directly with consumers. This guarantees sustainability ," explains Lucie-Eleonore Riveron. For example, instead of going through Spotify or Deezer to listen to music, the Web 3 platform connects the artist directly to the consumer, taking a commission. The music belongs to the person who purchased it. " Whereas if Deezer or Spotify goes out of business, you lose all your content ," she points out.

This provided an opportunity for Martin Signoux, head of public affairs at Meta, to raise the issue of interoperability: " The advantage of interoperability is that if you consume music on platform 'X' and that platform disappears, you can switch your data to platform 'Y' in the blink of an eye ." But will the platforms embrace this interoperability, given that their goal is to keep users captive as much as possible, asks moderator Raphaël Bloch ( The Big Whale ). " If you ask Instagram to be interoperable with Twitter today, it's no longer possible because the protocols and formats used are not the same," explains Martin Signoux . "Meta's vision for these new immersive spaces is precisely to bring interested stakeholders together early enough to create standards that facilitate this interoperability. " Last June, Meta joined the " Metaverse Standard Forum ," initiated notably by Epic Games. This forum, which initially brought together twenty companies and ten standardization bodies advocating for this interoperability, now has around 1,700 participants.

Towards a carbon-neutral web?

Finally, we can't talk about an ethical and responsible web without addressing energy consumption and digital footprint. For the founder of VRrOOm, it's a major undertaking that concerns a huge number of players: " Everyone has to do their part. At VRrOOm, we try to optimize the size and weight of our content and work with servers that are greener than others. It's the trend anyway, and we can't ignore it: our audience, which is extremely young, is on the lookout for any excesses or exaggerations on these issues. " Lucie Eléonore Riveron confirms that since September, Ethereum, the largest blockchain supporting NFTs, has switched to a much less energy-intensive protocol. " A transaction on Ethereum is the equivalent of sending an email without an attachment," explains Riveron, for whom digital technology represents above all an opportunity "since it allows us to reduce the environmental impact of other uses ."

The head of Meta, which achieved carbon neutrality in 2020 (scope 1 and 2, i.e., without taking into account indirect emissions covered by scope 3), agrees with her on this point: “ Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, which studied the use of immersive technologies in certain industries, concludes that by improving the product prototyping process through immersive technologies, the ultimate impact on emissions is positive. Therefore, we shouldn't pit digital use, and even less so the use of immersive technologies, against environmental impact. There is a real possibility of energy savings .”