Metaverse as local government communication platform: A systematic review through the lens of publicness theory

Abstract

Public organisations, such as local governments, underpin the very social fabric of cities. The Metaverse presents itself as a tool with potential to revolutionise local governments' interaction with citizens, promising multiple benefits but also posing risks. Despite the significance of this area for cities, it remains underexplored in state-of-the-art literature. In fact, there is currently insufficient evidence to assure that the Metaverse would align with the publicness of local governments. Given that the Publicness Theory—examines the extent to which organisations are influenced by public sector characteristics, regardless of whether they are formally part of the public or private sector—encompasses the traits of any democratic government, this study investigates whether the existing literature on the Metaverse for local government communication adheres to the standards of publicness—the degree to which an organisation or entity embodies characteristics traditionally associated with the public sector. This systematic review under the PRISMA protocol provides local governments with important insights: (a) The Metaverse is envisioned as a service delivery platform for local governments, despite lacking a theoretical foundation on transparency; (b) A higher risk on accountability over privacy and security arises due to its immersive nature; (c) Despite the promise of greater inclusiveness, the Metaverse may, in reality, exacerbate the digital divide. This paper contributes to the discussion on the practical implications of the Metaverse for local governments, helping them navigate its adoption through the critical lens of the publicness dimension.