Introduction to the Special Issue on Security and Privacy of Avatar in Metaverse

The Metaverse is a 3D interactive virtual community that has gained significant attention in academia, business, and industry as a potential future internet paradigm. In this space, avatars serve as key elements, acting as the primary means of human interaction. Avatars are expected to be created using real data, tailored to users' preferences, and controlled in real-time through signals from wearable devices. Avatars allow users to feel as though they are extensions of their own bodies, creating an immersive experience that blurs the line between virtual and real compared to other virtual communities. On the other hand, the avatar faces serious security and privacy problems, especially when people and the law/regulation are increasingly less tolerant of security and privacy, such as copyright, false identity detection, dataset security, authentication, and content tampering. This special issue collects 15 papers reporting the recent developments of security and privacy of avatar in metaverse.