Privacy Implications of Eye Tracking in Mixed Reality

TL;DR

This paper discusses the privacy challenges posed by eye and gaze tracking in mixed reality devices, emphasizing the need to redefine privacy in this emerging technology landscape.

Contribution

It highlights the unique privacy concerns of eye tracking in MR and calls for new privacy frameworks tailored to this context.

Findings

Eye tracking in MR raises significant privacy issues.

Current privacy protections are insufficient for MR eye tracking.

Need for new privacy standards in MR devices.

Abstract

Mixed Reality (MR) devices require a world with always-on sensors and real-time processing applied to their outputs. We have grappled with some of the ethical concerns presented by this scenario, such as bystander privacy issues with smartphones and cameras. However, MR technologies demand that we define and defend privacy in this new paradigm. This paper focuses on the challenges presented by eye tracking and gaze tracking, techniques that have commonly been deployed in the HCI community for years but are now being integrated into MR devices by default.