  The metaverse is expected to be the next major evolution phase of the
internet. The metaverse will have an impact on human society, production, and
life. In this work, we analyze the current trends and challenges that building
such a virtual environment will face. We focus on three major pillars to guide
the development of the metaverse: privacy, governance, and ethical design, to
guide the development of the metaverse. Finally, we propose a preliminary
modular-based framework for an ethical design of the metaverse.
