1. A method for verifying an avatar owner as a human user of an avatar in a virtual world, said method comprising: providing, by a server device, a communication system for establishing a virtual world environment in which users may interact through avatars, representing each one or more users visually, in said virtual world environment; enabling, via client devices associated with one or more users, said users to interact through their said representing avatars, said client devices and server device communicating over a network; receiving request for challenging an avatar in said virtual world environment to determine whether said avatar is controlled by an application program user via a client device; identifying, in response to said challenging, a user client device associated with a challenged avatar; generating, for receipt at a user client device, a HIP message to detect a human user versus an application program user controlling a suspect avatar; sending to said user client device a HIP message, said HIP message requiring an response from said user; determining, from said response, whether said user is an application program user (bot) or a human user; and, preventing, at said server device, said challenged avatar from further interaction in said virtual world environment, or performing any other punitive action, when said challenged avatar is determined to be a bot.