Trust in the metaverse: a literature review

The metaverse represents an immersive and interactive virtual environment capable of redefining numerous industries, from retail to tourism. In this context, trust merges as a key element to foster consumer adoption and use of metaverse platforms. However, the scientific literature on the topic of trust in the metaverse is still fragmented and in an emerging stage. Therefore, this study proposes a systematic literature review aimed at mapping the state of the art on the topic by identifying the main research strands through an analysis of keyword co-occurrences in papers tracked on the Scopus scientific database. The co-occurrence analysis, carried out using the VOSviewer software, led to the identification of four thematic clusters: (1) the role of trust in human relationships within the metaverse; (2) trust in consumption behaviors and virtual shopping experiences; (3) trust related to the security provided by technologies such as blockchain and NFT; and (4) trust in the adoption of new technologies, with a specific focus on the tourism sector. The results highlight how trust building depends on multiple factors, including privacy protection, platform usability, perceived credibility of brands, and the quality of virtual interactions. Finally, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed to outline potential areas for future research to build experiences in the metaverse that are increasingly trustworthy and secure.