User Understanding of Privacy Permissions in Mobile Augmented Reality: Perceptions and Misconceptions

TL;DR

This study explores user perceptions and misconceptions regarding privacy permissions in mobile AR apps, highlighting the need for clearer privacy mechanisms to improve user understanding and trust.

Contribution

It provides an analysis of user misconceptions and proposes design implications for more transparent privacy permission systems in mobile AR applications.

Findings

Users confuse permission labels, conflating camera and gallery access.

Many users misunderstand how permissions relate to AR functionalities.

Design recommendations include contextual explanations and clearer labels.

Abstract

Mobile Augmented Reality (AR) applications leverage various sensors to provide immersive user experiences. However, their reliance on diverse data sources introduces significant privacy challenges. This paper investigates user perceptions and understanding of privacy permissions in mobile AR apps through an analysis of existing applications and an online survey of 120 participants. Findings reveal common misconceptions, including confusion about how permissions relate to specific AR functionalities (e.g., location and measurement of physical distances), and misinterpretations of permission labels (e.g., conflating camera and gallery access). We identify a set of actionable implications for designing more usable and transparent privacy mechanisms tailored to mobile AR technologies, including contextual explanations, modular permission requests, and clearer permission labels. These findings offer actionable guidance for developers, researchers, and policymakers working to enhance privacy frameworks in mobile AR.