元宇宙中身份型虚拟数字人的风险及其刑法规制

The Risk of the Identity-based Virtual Digital Human in the Metaverse and Its Criminal Law Regulation

随着数字技术的不断发展,元宇宙应用也不断深化。身份型虚拟数字人作为元宇宙中的核心交互载体,虽然能够在元宇宙应用场景中发挥着积极作用,但以其为对象或将其作为工具所引发的风险也陆续出现。身份型虚拟数字人并非传统的财产权客体,也非权利主体,而是兼具数据属性和人格属性的人格物,其不仅关涉人的人身安全、隐私利益、名誉甚至性方面的个人法益,甚至还关系到社会管理秩序、国家安全等超个人法益。考虑到元宇宙中数字行动的特殊性与复杂性,在进行刑法规制时,一方面,需要积极改变行为规制思路,转向框架规制路径,提高风险规制能力,实现事前的风险预防,坚持刑法的最后手段性;另一方面,刑法介入需要以存在元宇宙与现实世界法益交汇点为前提,处罚真实的法益侵害行为。

With the continuous development of digital technology,the application of the metaverse is also deepening.Identity-based virtual digital personas,as core interactive entities within the metaverse,play a proactive role in various metaverse application scenarios.However,risks arising from their use as subjects or tools have also emerged.Identity-based virtual digital personas are neither traditional property objects nor legal subjects but rather personality entities that combine data attributes and personal attributes.They involve personal legal interests such as personal safety,privacy,reputation,and even aspects of sexuality,as well as broader societal interests like social order and national security.Considering the unique and complex nature of digital actions in the metaverse in terms of criminal law regulation,it is necessary,to actively change the regulatory approach from behavioral regulation to framework regulation,enhancing the ability to regulate risks and achieve proactive risk prevention,while maintaining criminal law as a last resort.Criminal law intervention should be premised on the intersection of interests between the metaverse and the real world,punishing real infringements of legal interests.