augmented reality

ITIF: How to Balance Privacy and Innovation in Augmented and Virtual Reality

ITIF: How to Balance Privacy and Innovation in Augmented and Virtual Reality

In the wake of my white paper on the implications of virtual reality for kids, I joined a panel hosted by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation to discuss the privacy risks posed by AR/VR, what XR companies can do to mitigate these concerns, and how existing law and regulation impact immersive technologies. I’ve been longtime fan of Brian Wassom and Brittan Heller, and it was a lot of fun to talk immersive tech with them:

A Voice of VR, Episode #951

Several weeks ago, I was invited to join Kent Bye’s podcast to discuss the state of U.S. privacy law. Kent’s Voices of VR Podcast is mandatory listening if one is interested in virtual reality and immersive technologies, and I’m a huge fan. Getting to geek out with Kent for a few hours was a personal treat.

We cover a lot of ground from the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, the history of U.S. privacy law, and the ongoing state and federal debate about comprehensive privacy laws. I occasionally try to inject my own asides about the importance of biometrics laws and my concerns about invoking surveillance capitalism. The full episode is available here — and a citation-filled transcript is also available to download here.

Project Aria and Mapping Augmented Reality

Project Aria and Mapping Augmented Reality

On the heels of Facebook’s announcement that Reality Labs would be deploying smart glasses to both assist in mapping and create “digital twin” of the real world:

Maps hold tremendous power. They not only help people navigate the world, but they also establish boundaries and shape our perceptions. Mapping technology is equally important. Global navigation systems are military assets, and Apple publicly apologized for the shaky launch of its mapping app in 2012. We have gotten used to mapping roads, but AR changes the game by encouraging us to map every square foot of space on the planet.

// Read the piece at Slate here. 

Some Initial Ideas on Improving Privacy in AR, VR, and XR

The time to begin developing XR privacy guidelines and controls is now. Growing numbers of consumers are worried about how data collected via VR headsets and AR apps are used, and privacy compliance has emerged as the top legal risk impacting XR companies. XR industry surveys have found that companies are more concerned with consumer privacy and data security than product liability, health and safety, or intellectual property.

In this post for IAPP’s Privacy Perspectives, I offer some initial areas that should be top of mind. As a privacy advocate and XR enthusiast, I suggest there’s a real need for AR/VR platforms and developers to (1) improve transparency and begin making XR-specific data disclosures, (2) embrace transparency reporting and technical solutions to restrain data sharing, and (3) commit to diversity and inclusion.

Would Could Facial Recognition Privacy Protections Look Like?

Concerns about facial recognition technology have appeared within the context of “tagging” images on Facebook or how it transforms marketing, but these interactions are largely between users and service providers. Facial recognition on the scale offered by wearable technology such as Google Glass changes how we navigate the outside world.  Traditional notice and consent mechanisms can protect Glass users but not the use by the user himself.  // More on the Future of Privacy Forum Blog.

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