In November 2008 I provided readers with a link to the European Network and Information Security Agency’s paper on privacy and security in virtual worlds. At the time I didn’t realize that the same organization had also had published a paper specifically looking at virtual worlds aimed at children called “Children on virtual worlds: What parents should know.” Readers may also be interested in that paper.

The Canadian Office of the Privacy Commissioner has recently posted a research paper on their website. The paper, which was written in April 2008, describes privacy concerns relating to virtual worlds, specifically Second Life.

It is titled “Second Life: Privacy in Virtual Worlds” and it provides a general background on these environments, some of the marquis cases that have affected user’s privacy and finally analyzes some of these concerns against the principles set forth in the Privacy Act.

It is a good read for researchers, but will also give virtual world/mmorpg businesses a sense of the direction that Canadian privacy authorities are heading in with respect to these environments.

For readers who are interested in what activities that Governments are involved in with respect to virtual worlds, you may wish to visit the Federal Consortium of Virtual Worlds. The presentations, videos and other information posted there will provide readers with a view into how different agencies are using virtual worlds for training; networking, modeling, research and communication. You’ll also get a sense of which private sector companies are meeting these demands.

Another place you may wish to check out is the Digital Ontario Island in Second Life. There are various kiosks and buildings that users can visit which cover things such as tourism and investment opportunities (personally I think the Muskoka chairs are a nice touch).