Version 2.0 // 17 Nov 2022 ** 1. Every person matters + No person should ever knowingly be left behind, sacrificed, scapegoated, or undermined in the pursuit of our goals + This means we must ensure full Fairness and Accessibility in our work, even when it’s hard + We should give extra attention to at-risk adults* and people with young, developing minds. + To the extent that our principles ever come into conflict, we will choose the greatest good while minimizing harm + * at-risk adults includes cognitively impaired, disabled, and anyone who may need special access or assistance ** 2. Freedom requires mutual Tolerance and Respect + Guild members must be respectful and tolerant of all people -- the quietest voices are often the most important to hear + This requires a real commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and a rejection of all forms of harassment + Proper DEI results in equitable pay and leadership that embodies the diversity of the world + The Guild will not discriminate or retaliate against anyone on the basis of any legally protected category + The Guild will closely follow the W3C Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct: https://www.w3.org/Consortium/cepc/ ** 3. Freedom and Privacy are inseparable human rights + Metaverse and XR should be designed to protect individual freedoms, including freedoms of thought, action and association, for which privacy is essential + We believe that companies should minimize the personal data they collect and require truly informed consent and maximum security for any data they collect + We believe that many uses of this data are too complex for consumers to reasonably consent to + We believe that companies may ethically help to filter content and experiences and protect privacy for the end-customer’s benefit + We believe that individuals have a right to present their identity as they decide. Others do not have any right to augment or impersonate people without their consent ** 4. We seek to teach what we know and to increase dialog, understanding, and learning + To the extent that our employers, companies or co-workers do not yet follow principles similar to these, we will play the long game + We seek to support members who espouse ethical principles even when their companies do not + We will avoid publicly shaming companies unless the facts are well-established in legal, governmental and/or public domains + We will not ask our members to strike, quit or take direct action that puts members in jeopardy + We favor speaking with a unified voice, which we understand may require more patience and perseverance than direct action + We set the bar for public commentary at 75% support, which allows some members to disagree ** 5. Metaverse/XR hardware and software are for everyone + The devices and experiences should be truly accessible and usable by all of Humanity + The devices and experiences we build should reflect these principles throughout + Kids and at-risk* adults need special consideration for accessibility, including fit and optics ** 6. No individual, company or country should own or control the Metaverse + Standards exist for everyone. Related IP should ideally be licensed freely + The Guild will not solicit or accept any privileged or proprietary information + IP arising from work or ideas within the Guild will be made openly available + The Guild will not facilitate exclusive agreements among companies. We will advocate for broadly pro-consumer policies ** 7. The Metaverse and XR should move towards being interoperable, open, and extensible + Any device should be able to work with any content and experiences, and vice-versa + The Metaverse should be more “Commons” than “Walled Gardens” + There are many good reasons to keep specific content and interactions private or limited to small groups ** 8. Metaverse/XR hardware and software should benefit end-users and their communities + Advertising is a form of speech with many protections. Some of us will opt-in to targeted, experiential and immersive ads. Our private data should never be used without our explicit and informed consent. + ‘Click-wrap’ and complex EULAs do not provide informed consent. We should find better alternatives to existing consent models. + It may be impossible for us to understand and consent to the more complex data collection, especially biometric and real-time context. + It may be impossible to properly protect our most private data in any cloud. It’s better to encrypt personal data on-device, or not keep it at all. + Subsidies that lower consumer cost but undermine human rights are unethical ** 9. We are responsible for our individual decisions and collectively for the field + We must make conscientious decisions about what will be best for consumers + We should seek out and make best use of their feedback and aspirations + Over time, we strive to empower more good and eliminate all bad aspects of our collective work through empathy, curiosity and diligence + Ethical data collection and experimentation on adults requires their full informed consent, while anything that affects kids needs additional expert evaluation for risks and harms ** 10. Design patterns that trick, confuse or exploit people should be exposed and redesigned for safety + Overly hyping nascent technology for personal gain contributes to inflated expectations that hurt others when these "bubbles" rapidly deflate + Presuming end-user "consent" based on coercive contracts of adhesion does not respect individual rights or safety + We must avoid harmful patterns affecting social development, including grooming, exploitation, harassment, and psychological addiction enabled by our products ** 11. We have a duty to help mitigate serious problems wherever possible + This includes serious health issues, violations of law, privacy or other human or civil rights with any Metaverse/XR hardware or software + If mitigation is not possible, we have a duty to warn authorities and/or the public to take corrective action + We have an added duty to help people at risk*, including children and cognitively impared adults. ** 12. All Guild members adhere to these principles + We will demonstrate our commitment to these principles at all times + Only individual humans may join the Guild + On acceptance by current Guild members, each new member shall be co-equal + If Guild members are thought to be acting against these principles, neutral Guild Members will first discuss the actions with those members, seeking growth and resolution + If allegations warrant, the parties in conflict will first present arguments to the Guild before voting on 1) a warning, given ¼ of votes in favor, or 2) removing members, given ¾ of votes in favor + These principles can be amended by any Guild member proposing novel amendments, given ¾ voting in favor and sufficient time to debate