The EU releases a Web4 strategy. Why is it separated from the Metaverse?

This summer, the European Commission released a strategic document titled “Initiative on Web4.0 and the Virtual World: Leading the Next Technological Transformation,” announcing Web4 as the new direction for Europe’s future digital development. Behind this move reflects the EU’s deep strategic thinking in defining the concept and seizing the discourse power in global technological competition.

Rather than a mere technological upgrade, it is a geopolitical declaration. Why does the EU propose Web4 instead of directly using the more popular term “Metaverse”? This involves who controls the narrative of internet development.

Web4 Does Not Equal the Metaverse, Europe’s Broader Ambitions

The EU’s official definition of Web4 may seem complex, but it essentially involves the systematic integration of multiple cutting-edge technologies. According to the Commission, Web4 leverages advanced AI, environmental intelligence, the Internet of Things, trusted blockchain transactions, virtual worlds, and XR mixed reality technologies, aiming to fully blend virtual and real worlds to create immersive, lifelike experiences.

At first glance, this definition indeed resembles a description of the “Metaverse.” However, Dr. Yu Jianing, co-chair of the Blockchain Special Committee of the China Communications Industry Association, pointed out the distinction. He believes Web4 is an advocacy that combines new concepts with frontier technologies. Compared to Web3’s decentralization idealism, Web4 carries more explicit political intent, and its technological scope is broader.

The EU’s definition of Web4 includes the following development dimensions:

Deep application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Web4 embeds AI into network infrastructure to achieve highly personalized user experiences and intelligent decision support.

Deep integration of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. Not just applying VR and AR tools, but seamlessly integrating these technologies into daily online experiences, ensuring users do not feel disjointed during virtual-real transitions.

Large-scale interconnected IoT ecosystem. Connecting various devices and sensors to build smart homes, smart cities, and other application scenarios, creating efficient living and working environments.

Comprehensive upgrade of data privacy and security. Compared to Web3’s emphasis on user sovereignty, Web4 focuses more on providing multi-layered encryption and privacy protection mechanisms to ensure the security of large-scale applications.

What Are the Core Differences Between Web4 and Web3?

The distinction lies not in the technology itself but in the development philosophy.

Web3’s core ideal is decentralization—users control their data, identities, and assets, eliminating intermediaries through blockchain technology to realize peer-to-peer trust interactions. Its tech stack revolves around blockchain: smart contracts automatically execute rules, DApps (decentralized applications) run independently on the blockchain, and decentralized identity management allows users to own portable digital identities.

Web4 adopts a different approach. While blockchain remains an important component, it is integrated into a broader technological ecosystem. Web4 aims to create an open, secure, trustworthy, and inclusive digital environment, but it does not necessarily exclude centralized roles—on the contrary, traditional power centers like governments and large platforms may lead the development of technical rules and standards.

Dr. Yu Jianing summarized the key difference: Web4 emphasizes the integration of virtual and real worlds, while Web3 mainly focuses on decentralization; Web4’s goal is to create a trusted open environment, whereas Web3’s core is to grant users full data sovereignty. In other words, Web3 is individualistic, Web4 is institutionalized.

This also explains why the EU chose to use “Web4” instead of “Metaverse”—the latter carries commercial and entertainment connotations, while the former sounds more like a policy-guided technological framework.

Controlling the Definition of Web4 = Controlling the Discourse Power of the Digital Economy

This is the deeper logic behind the EU’s launch of the Web4 strategy.

The development of internet technology has never been purely a technical issue; it profoundly influences the economy, society, and politics of nations. Over the past twenty years, the US has gained leadership in the global digital economy by controlling the development direction of the internet and mobile networks. Now, facing new fields like AI and virtual worlds, the EU realizes it must define the rules of the game first.

Whoever first proposes and defines “Web4” will have the initiative in industry standards, technical standards, and regulatory frameworks. This not only affects the local technological development in Europe but also has the potential to lead the global digital economy.

By introducing the concept of Web4, the EU is essentially claiming: the future internet will not be defined by Silicon Valley tech giants or commercial groups, but by policymakers with democratic legitimacy. Once this framework is established, European companies and R&D institutions can innovate within this definition, avoiding passive catch-up with American firms.

Moreover, compared to the American-originated concept of “Metaverse,” “Web4” sounds more neutral, more technical, and easier for other countries and regions worldwide to accept, thereby expanding Europe’s discourse influence.

The significance of this move by the EU is that it no longer merely follows technological trends but aims to become the rule-maker for the future digital world. In intersecting fields like AI, virtual worlds, and IoT, whoever controls the definition will hold the initiative in the development of the digital economy over the next decade.

(Content referenced from MarsBit and Centreless sources)