Inclusioneering partnered with VBuddies to operationalize digital safety, privacy, and equity into their metaverse EdTech platform, setting a new standard for ethical, inclusive, and accessible virtual learning environments.
The Brief
When the pandemic first hit and international travel paused, VBuddies co-founders, Lijia Zhang and Dr Jon Fearon-Jones, made the familiar choice to re-invent their Cambridge residential summer academy as a virtual academy, enabling students to continue learning and ‘visit’ Cambridge from the comfort of their own homes.
Inspired by the positive impact the pivot had on its learners, Zhang and Fearon-Jones began exploring the use of immersive technology to make quality education more accessible for all.
Prioritising digital safety, privacy and equality, they approached Inclusioneering for support to operationalise these values into a development approach that goes beyond mandatory compliance, to set the standard for online virtual learning platforms.
Our Approach
Through an initial assessment to discover VBuddies’ starting point, we gained a rapid view of priorities to plan the work ahead. As VBuddies connects children together online, prioritising safety was our first step. The “Children’s Code” (also known as the Age Appropriate Design Code) is a UK law that applies to all digital services likely to be accessed by children under the age of 18. It sets out obligations under data protection law to protect children and their data online.
In close alignment, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international agreement that grants all children a comprehensive set of rights, and we placed this at the foundations of the work to design a framework for digital safety, privacy and equality.
Article 3, The Best Interests of the Child, is also a concept at the centre of the Children’s Code. It relates to protecting children from harm, and also to providing support that adds to their wellbeing and development.
Other relevant articles for VBuddies include protection of privacy, access to education that is available equally for all children, and the right to have rest and leisure, and engage in age appropriate play and cultural activities.
We introduced a co-creation approach to embed these principles in the development process: Asset Based Community Development. This engages partners and stakeholders to ensure their needs are met, and builds upon their existing strengths and experience, to empower and bring them into the innovation process.

Impact
VBuddies’ developer, Metaverse Tech, is dedicated to embedding responsible AI, digital equality, and cultural inclusivity into every aspect of their design. Our work together equipped them with a practical approach, grounded in robust frameworks for ethical, accessible, and inclusive development that ensures equitable, safe and fun access to the VBuddies virtual learning environment for everyone.
Enquire about responsible tech and AI”With Data, Safety, Equity and Inclusion at the heart of VBuddies' design, we are glad to have the expertise of Jo and her Inclusioneering Limited team supporting us in this.
Lijia Zhang, Co-founder and CEO, VBuddies.ai - Metaverse Tech Ltd