Epic Games and Lego work together to create a metaverse for children Companies join forces to create an environment where the safety of children is guaranteed.
This article was translated from our Spanish edition.
Since the day Fortnite , the video game created by Epic Games , was launched on the market, it became the favorite game of children all over the world. For 90 years Lego has inspired millions of children with its building blocks that allow them to create and build cars, houses, castles and spaceships in the real world.
Both companies have something in common: their target audience is children .
Now Epic Games , the creator of Fortnite, and Lego join forces to create a metaverse for children that guarantees them a safe and fun space. Through a statement Niels B Christiansen , CEO of The Lego Group commented on the matter: "Children enjoy playing in both digital and physical worlds and move seamlessly between the two. We believe that there is great potential for them to develop lifelong skills such as creativity, collaboration and communication through digital experiences. But we have the responsibility that these are safe, inspiring and beneficial for all. Just as we have protected children's rights to safe physical play for generations, we are committed to doing the same for digital play."
The metaverse is something new and in many ways, still unknown. We know it will transform the way we interact and communicate in the digital world. As fascinating as it is, we also know that it will bring with it significant cybersecurity risks and implications. Children are usually the most exposed to threats in the digital environment and what Epic Games and Fortnite are looking for is to build an environment that guarantees the safety of the little ones by following three principles: protecting the right of children to play, turning their safety and wellness a priority, safeguarding their privacy at all times, and empowering them with tools that allow them to stay in control of their digital experience.
Both companies have previously worked on ways to keep children safe. Since 2015 Lego has been working with UNICEF developing plans that help companies create environments in which children's rights are respected. For its part, Epic Games acquired SuperAwesome in 2020, a platform whose mission is to guarantee safe digital experiences for users under 16 years of age.
Although the details around this new metaverse are still scarce, initiatives like this are to be applauded. We are all interested in digital development and virtual worlds, but the safety of users (especially the smallest) must always be a priority.
