The Existing Law and Extended Reality Symposium, held on January 6, 2023, and sponsored by Stanford Law School and the FSI Cyber Policy Center, brought together leading voices in technology, law, and policy to address the profound questions raised by extended reality (XR) technologies. As XR—including virtual, augmented, and mixed realities—rapidly advances, it blurs the boundaries between the digital and physical, prompting new legal and ethical challenges. Experts from across disciplines gathered to examine how current regulatory frameworks adapt to this shift, especially in the context of privacy, biometric data, artificial intelligence, and content moderation. Their discussions highlighted both the promise and the potential perils of XR as it reshapes personal autonomy, privacy, and civic engagement.

This edited volume, titled Existing Law and Extended Reality: An Edited Volume of the 2023 Symposium Proceedings, compiles and expands upon the ideas presented during the symposium. Edited by Brittan Heller, the collection includes contributions from symposium speakers and scholars who delve deeper into the regulatory gaps, ethical concerns, and societal impacts of XR and AI. Each chapter reflects the authors’ unique expertise, providing a diverse range of perspectives that collectively paint a comprehensive picture of XR’s complex legal landscape. Topics range from privacy frameworks for spatial data and biometric protections to the role of XR in police training and the ethical implications of AI-driven content moderation in immersive environments.

The publication of these proceedings aims to extend the conversation beyond the symposium’s walls, offering policymakers, technologists, and scholars a resource that bridges theory and practical application. By sharing these expanded views of conference participants, the volume aspires to equip readers with insights to anticipate future challenges in XR and to inspire further research and dialogue on regulating this transformative technology responsibly.

• Why Examine Existing Law and Extended Realities by Brittan Heller

• Evaluating Novel Legal and Policy Challenges Presented by Extended Reality by Justin Hendrix

• Achieving Congruence between New Tech and Old Norms: A Privacy Case Study of Spatial Mapping Tech in XR by Joseph Jerome and Cobun Zweifel-Keegan

• Extended Reality, Body-Based Data, and Biometric Privacy Regulations: Lessons for Policymakers by Jameson Spivack

• The Reality of XR Police Training by Long Doan, Connor Powelson, Genesis Fuentes, and Rashawn Ray

• The Language of Legality: The Role of Administrative Power in Building the Digital Republic by Daniel Castaño

• Privacy Pitfalls of Contextually-Aware AI: Sensemaking Frameworks for Context and XR Data Qualities by Kent Bye

• A Reflection on Challenges of Content Governance in the Metaverse by Julie Owono

We would like to thank the Project Liberty Institute whose support of the Program on Governance of Emerging Technologies made this publication possible.