Virtual Worlds Forum

Your privacy

Virtual Economic Forum Limited (VEF) has created this Privacy Policy in order to demonstrate its firm commitment to privacy. This Policy explains how VEF collects, uses and discloses personal data that it obtains about you when you visit any of its websites or register for any of its events. Please read this information carefully. By using the website, and/or submitting any personal data, you expressly consent to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

The Privacy Policy addresses the following:

VEF collects two kinds of information about its users: 1) data that users voluntarily give VEF by signing up to receive news and product information, entering contests, completing surveys, or buying directly from VEF (more details of the kinds of personal data collected by VEF can be found in the Personal Data section below); and 2) aggregated tracking data VEF collects when users interact with it.

Collection of Personal Data and Use

VEF will use personal data that you have provided voluntarily to send you information that you've requested and to fulfill orders. The specific use of your personal information will vary, depending on how you contact us:

When you sign up online to receive The Virtual Economic Forum newsletters, or general information, you must provide your name and email address. Except as set out in this Privacy Policy, VEF will not sell or rent to a third party your email address or other personal data which you have provided to VEF for these purposes.

When you register for a Virtual Economic Forum conference, or sign up to a conference email list, VEF will send you email announcements and updates about The Virtual Economic Forum conferences. We send conference brochures to past conference attendees.

VEF may also ask you for certain financial information such as account or credit card numbers when you book a conference with us and we will use this information to collect payment.

VEF will also collect the following general information:

Your internet protocol (IP) address, which is automatically logged by our web server. IP addresses are used to observe users' interest in this web site (number of visits, duration of visit, pages visited etc). This information is not personal data.

Cookies, which are very small text files saved to your computer. Cookies are used to track user navigation around a web site. Cookies are means of identifying your computer to our server, they do not identify individuals, only the computer used. You can disable cookies or set your browser to alert you when cookies are being sent.

VEF will share personal data only with affiliated companies as follows:

With third parties we retain to perform functions on our behalf, such as fulfilling orders, processing credit card payments, managing mailing lists, and delivering packages. These parties are restricted from using your information for any other purpose.

VEF may rent our snailmail list (this will only include your name and address) for one-time use to third parties we deem relevant and appropriate to inform you of other relevant offers. However, this will not be done without your prior consent.

VEF does not rent or sell its email lists. However, VEF’s approved event sponsors and partners may contact you if you have opted-in for such contact, after the event.

VEF will release personal data if it believes that release is appropriate to comply with the law, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of VEF, the users of its website, or others. This may include exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction.

VEF also reserves the right to disclose personal data in connection with the sale, assignment, or other transfer of all or part of the business. If personal data is transferred, use of the personal data will remain subject to this Privacy Policy. Personal data may be passed on to a successor in interest in the event of a liquidation or administration of VEF.

Aggregated tracking information

VEF analyses visitors' use of its websites by tracking information such as pageviews, traffic flow, search terms, and click through. VEF uses this information to improve its sites. VEF also shares this anonymous traffic and demographic information in aggregate form with advertisers and other business partners. It will not share any information with advertisers that will enable identification of an individual user.

VEF uses third party web analytics services to improve its website performance and user experience. VEF uses this information to improve usability on its websites and to help support its customers’ online needs. VEF’s third party web analytics suppliers does not reveal any personally identifiable data, such as names or email address.

Notification of Changes

This privacy policy was put in effect on May 17th 2007. VEF reserves the right to change or amend its privacy practices as described in this Privacy Policy and issue amended versions of this Policy from time to time. If VEF changes its Privacy Policy, it will post those changes on http://www.virtualeconomicforum.com. If VEF decides to use personal data in a manner different from that stated at the time it was collected, it will notify you via email. You will be able to opt out of any new use of your personal information at any time.

How to update, correct, or delete your information

To update or unsubscribe from our email newsletters, conference announcements or general marketing information distribution lists please send an to

Your Rights

You have certain rights under the Data Protection Act 1998, including the right to access or correct your Personal Data. Further details on the Data Protection Act 1998 can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website (http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk). If you have any queries relating to your Personal Data, please contact: .

Other Websites

VEF’s websites may contain links to other sites which are completely unrelated to VEF. This Policy does not apply to these sites nor are VEF responsible for the content and practices of these web sites.

About us

The Virtual Economic Forum is a media company and think-tank delivering events, online content and networking to the virtual worlds and MMO community.

More about us

Virtual Worlds Forum blog

The Guardian on Virtual Worlds

The Guardian’s Tech Weekly podcast, hosted by Aleks Krotoski (whom is also on the Virtual Worlds Forum Advisory Board), has produced a special edition on virtual worlds. In particular, they looked at “the ways virtual worlds are being integrated into the decisions politicians, policy makers and the legal system are making.”

The discussion on governmental regulation of virtual worlds was particularly interesting. In essence, the problem is this: virtual words are more centralised than the internet, and so it is possible (at least in theory) to regulate them to a much greater extent. Linden Labs, for example, has banned gambling in Second Life, in a way that it would be impossible for Google, for example, to ban gambling on the internet. However, when governments start to get involved in regulation, things become much more complicated. Which jurisdiction does a virtual world fall in? Do the fairly strong intellectual property rights of the west prevail, or the weaker IP rights of countries such as China? Is jurisdiction to be determined by the country in which the world is hosted, or the country in which the user resides?

A mire of difficult questions relating to public policy and law enforcement quickly emerges, and the only obvious thing is that there will be no quick solution. As virtual worlds reach the mainstream, and as their economies develop to an even greater extent, the tensions in the way in which they are regulated will likely become more and more apparent until a sensible method of regulation is found. 

Comments [0] | 24 July 2008