How does location tracking in AR/VR devices like Google Glass impact user privacy?

By Aman Priyanshu

Location tracking in AR/VR devices like Google Glass can significantly impact user privacy. These devices often use GPS, Wi-Fi, and other sensors to track the user’s location in real-time, which can raise concerns about unauthorized access to this sensitive data. The continuous collection of location information can lead to the creation of detailed user profiles, which may be exploited for targeted advertising, surveillance, or even physical security risks. Additionally, the combination of location data with other personal information can result in serious privacy implications, such as the potential for stalking, identity theft, or invasive marketing practices. Furthermore, the storage and potential sharing of this data with third parties can further exacerbate these privacy concerns, as it increases the risk of unauthorized access or misuse of the collected location information.

Imagine wearing a pair of AR glasses that not only show you virtual information but also constantly track and record your exact location. This location data, when combined with other personal details, can create a detailed map of your daily activities and habits. It’s like having an invisible tracker following you everywhere, noting down where you go, what you do, and who you meet. This information, if mishandled, could potentially be used to manipulate your choices, invade your personal space, or even put your safety at risk.

Please note that the provided answer is a brief overview; for a comprehensive exploration of privacy, privacy-enhancing technologies, and privacy engineering, as well as the innovative contributions from our students at Carnegie Mellon’s Privacy Engineering program, we highly encourage you to delve into our in-depth articles available through our homepage at https://privacy-engineering-cmu.github.io/.

Author: My name is Aman Priyanshu, you can check out my website for more details or check out my other socials: LinkedIn and Twitter

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