Australian National University

Boundaries, Trust and Reputation in Virtual and Illicit Markets

This paper challenges the criminological view that virtual markets are lawless, arguing instead that worlds such as EVE Online are governed through a layered system of formal and informal controls.

• The paper argues that virtual worlds such as EVE Online are not lawless but governed by layered formal controls (code, end-user licence agreements, terms of service) and informal controls (player norms, visible reputation, community sanctions).
• Developers constrain antisocial conduct largely through code, such as making private storage inaccessible to other players, because worlds must stay engaging enough to retain paying subscribers.
• Where harm occurs, in-game consequences like clone replacement costs and vessel losses convert damage into financial and temporal costs rather than eliminating it, and intent is the key factor separating legitimate competition from harassment.