Virtual Tours and Representations of Cultural Heritage: Ethical Issues

Nowadays museums realities are increasingly interested in introducing advanced technological tools, in order to preserve and enhance the Cultural Heritage, as well as to make it more accessible and attractive. In fact, digital tools, such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), allow to provide effective responses to the needs of different types of users, to enhance the expressive qualities of the cultural asset, as well as to enrich the visitor’s learning possibilities. However, the integration of new technologies in the management of Cultural Heritage involves different type of ethical issues. The paper analyses some of the ethical issues related to ontological, economic, and social aspects, trying to outline some principles able to limit these critical implications.