Organizations are increasingly developing or deploying “immersive technologies,” a collection of hardware and software products that substitute, enhance, or alter users’ individual, physical-world experiences. These emerging technologies—which include tools like extended reality (XR), virtual worlds, and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)—have the potential to transform healthcare, education, entertainment, advertising, and other sectors. However, because they often rely on large amounts and kinds of personal, potentially sensitive data, they also raise important privacy and data protection questions. Without safeguards, data about people’s bodies, behaviors, and surrounding environments could be inferred and used to manipulate, discriminate against, or otherwise harm both users and bystanders. FPF works with experts from industry, academia, and civil society to identify the unique privacy and data protection risks in this nascent field, analyze how existing and emerging regulations implicate immersive technologies, and develop best practices and policy recommendations.
“Personality vs. Personalization” in AI Systems: Responsible Design and Risk Management (Part 4)
This post is the fourth and final blog post in a series on personality versus personalization in AI systems. Read Part 1 (exploring concepts), Part 2 (concrete uses and risks), and Part 3 (intersection with U.S. law). Conversational AI technologies are hyper-personalizing. Across sectors, companies are focused on offering personalized experiences that are tailored to […]
Youth Privacy in Immersive Technologies: Regulatory Guidance, Lessons Learned, and Remaining Uncertainties
As young people adopt immersive technologies like extended reality (XR) and virtual world applications, companies are expanding their presence in digital spaces, launching brand experiences, advertisements, and digital products. While virtual worlds may in some ways resemble traditional social media and gaming experiences, they may also collect more data and raise potential manipulation risks, particularly […]
Understanding Body-Related Data Practices and Ensuring Legal Compliance in Immersive Technologies
Organizations are increasingly incorporating immersive technologies like extended reality (XR) and virtual worlds into their products and services, blurring the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds. Immersive technologies hold the potential to transform the way people learn, work, play, travel, and take care of their health, but may create new privacy risks as well. […]
FPF in 2023: A Year in Review
As 2023 comes to an end, we want to reflect on a year that saw the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) continue to expand its presence globally and domestically while organizing engaging events, publishing thought-provoking analysis, providing the latest expert updates, and more. FPF continues to convene industry experts, academics, consumer advocates, and other experts […]
Old Laws & New Tech: As Courts Wrestle with Tough Questions under US Biometric Laws, Immersive Tech Raises New Challenges
Extended reality (XR) technologies often rely on users’ body-based data, particularly information about their eyes, hands, and body position, to create realistic, interactive experiences. However, data derived from individuals’ bodies can pose serious privacy and data protection risks for people. It can also create substantial liability risks for organizations, given the growing volume of lawsuits […]
New FPF Infographic Analyzes Age Assurance Technology & Privacy Tradeoffs
As a growing number of federal and state children’s online privacy and safety proposals seek to age-restrict social media and other online experiences, FPF released a new infographic, Unpacking Age Assurance: Technologies and Tradeoffs. The infographic analyzes the risks and potential harms associated with attempting to discern someone’s age online, as well as potential mitigation […]
FPF in 2022: A Year in Review
As 2022 comes to an end, we wanted to reflect on a year that saw the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) expand its presence both domestically and around the globe, while producing engaging events, thought-provoking analysis, and insightful publications. Global Expansion In 2022, FPF closely followed and advised upon significant developments in Asia, the European […]
Understanding Extended Reality Technology & Data Flows: Privacy and Data Protection Risks and Mitigation Strategies
This post is the second in a two-part series. Click here for FPF’s XR infographic. The first post in this series focuses on the key functions that XR devices may feature, and analyzes the kinds of sensors, data types, data processing, and transfers to other parties that power these functions. I. Introduction Today’s virtual (VR), […]
Understanding Extended Reality Technology & Data Flows: XR Functions
This post is the first in a two-part series on extended reality (XR) technology, providing an overview of the technology and associated privacy and data protection risks. Click here for FPF’s infographic, “Understanding Extended Reality Technology & Data Flows.” I. Introduction Today’s virtual (VR), mixed (MR), and augmented (AR) reality environments, collectively known as extended […]
New Infographic Highlights XR Technology Data Flows and Privacy Risks
As businesses increasingly develop and adopt extended reality (XR) technologies, including virtual (VR), mixed (MR), and augmented (AR) reality, the urgency to consider potential privacy and data protection risks to users and bystanders grows. Lawmakers, regulators, and other experts are increasingly interested in how XR technologies work, what data protection risks they pose, and what […]