Advocates strive for an extended-reality privacy framework

December 14, 2023

Biometrics-heavy augmented reality may be approaching the Wild West, where growth outpaces legislation or even reasonable safety standards.

But it doesn’t have to go that route, and it shouldn’t, according to the Future of Privacy Forum, a U.S. think tank and advocacy group. Biometric scanning, monitoring, and analysis will be more deeply embedded in virtual reality than practically any other post-2000 information technology.

The Washington, D.C.-based organization is promoting its concept of a risk framework for the expanding business.

Immersive information systems, for the uninitiated, are predicted to evolve to monitor all bodily identities and functions open to measurement in polite society, as well as a few that aren’t. According to the forum, privacy should be a top priority.

Developers are interested in biometric identifiers such as the face, voice, eye, and hands. Newer measurements, such as a person’s vital signs, body location, limbs, neural activity, and even general body sounds, are increasingly being used. The study also mentions the concept of “biometric psychography,” which tracks how people react to stimuli over time.

The forum’s structure is straightforward, and anyone attempting to market information technology should be familiar with it by now.

The first level entails learning how a company handles personal data. The second step is to examine applicable legislative frameworks and ensure regulatory compliance.

The third stage involves identifying and assessing the dangers to individuals, groups, and society. Finally, best business practices should be implemented.

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