The race to create the metaverse—a massive digital universe blending virtual and physical realities—is turning into a worldwide competition for dominance.
New research from the University of Amsterdam shows that the United States, China, and the European Union are each pursuing their own distinct paths toward this “new internet,” reflecting sharply different political and economic visions for the digital future. The study, published in the journal Politics and Governance, highlights how these competing approaches are creating separate metaverses—one dominated by American Big Tech, the other by China’s state-backed companies.
Political scientist Nora von Ingersleben-Seip, the study’s author, emphasizes that the metaverse is much more than just a technological innovation; it is rapidly becoming a geopolitical arena. Although still in its early stages, governments and corporations are already racing to determine how this immersive, interconnected internet will operate—and who will hold its power.
“We are seeing the rise of two rival metaverse models,” says Von Ingersleben-Seip.
“One is consumer-oriented and driven by American Big Tech, while the other is industry-centered and led by Chinese Big Tech. Europe envisions a third, open metaverse, but it lacks the companies needed to make that vision a reality.”
America: The Metaverse Shaped by Market Forces
In the United States, there is no official federal policy specifically for the metaverse. Instead, the government promotes related technologies like artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and cloud computing through industrial initiatives such as the CHIPS and Science Act. This hands-off strategy has allowed Big Tech firms—like Meta, Google, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft—to take the lead in shaping the new internet.
These companies control nearly every part of the digital landscape, from virtual reality devices and app stores to cloud services and digital identity systems.
Consequently, the American metaverse is evolving into a commercial, closed space where a handful of powerful corporations manage users’ experiences and data.
China: The Government-Driven Industrial Metaverse
In contrast, China has launched a comprehensive national strategy to take the lead in the metaverse. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has rolled out five-year plans and a Three-Year Action Plan (2023–2025) aimed at integrating virtual and extended reality technologies into key areas like education, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Chinese tech giants such as Huawei, Tencent, ByteDance, Alibaba, and NetEase play a central role in this vision, collaborating closely with the government to build an industrial metaverse focused on boosting productivity and strengthening the nation. In China’s metaverse, every online identity and transaction is tracked through government-approved systems, reflecting a model that emphasizes control and surveillance alongside technological advancement.
Europe: The Vision Centered on Rights and Openness
The European Union has chosen a different path. Through its Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds Strategy (2023), the European Commission aims to create an open, interoperable metaverse based on European values like privacy, transparency, and inclusion. The EU envisions a digital space where user rights are protected and businesses of all sizes can prosper.
Europe is investing in public-interest initiatives such as Destination Earth, a “digital twin” of the planet designed to model climate change, and CitiVerse, a virtual representation of urban areas to enhance city planning.
However, despite these goals, Von Ingersleben-Seip points out that Europe’s lack of major tech companies makes it dependent on American infrastructure for cloud computing and artificial intelligence—creating a reliance that restricts its ability to shape the future of the metaverse.
A Crossroads in the Digital Journey
Von Ingersleben-Seip concludes that each region’s strategy mirrors its wider political and economic values: the US prioritizes private innovation and market leadership; China emphasizes state control and industrial growth; and the EU aims to balance innovation with ethics and digital rights.
“The metaverse is more than just a technological advancement—it’s a political and economic endeavor,” Von Ingersleben-Seip explained. “The decisions made now will shape whether it evolves into an open digital commons or a divided system dominated by a handful of powerful entities.”
Read the original article on: Tech Xplore
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