When I first encountered immersive technologies, my fascination quickly turned to concern. Working as a Third-Party Risk consultant at Meta, I witnessed firsthand how AR and VR devices transform our everyday experiences into highly valuable data seamlessly. Spatial computing—the integration of digital elements into physical spaces—has quietly revolutionized personal data collection, capturing invisible streams of biometric and behavioral information all around us. The privacy implications are profound and deserve immediate attention.
Passthrough APIs: Invisible Gatekeepers
Passthrough APIs act as hidden channels, enabling devices like Meta’s Quest, Apple’s ARKit, Google’s ARCore, Microsoft’s Spatial Anchors, and Snap’s Lens Studio to interpret real-world environments. These APIs silently capture extensive personal data, from precise spatial configurations to subtle emotional and behavioral cues.
| Platform | API Name | Functionality | Notable Risks |
| Meta | Meta Passthrough API | Captures real-world data for overlaying digital content | Inferred biometrics, spatial mapping |
| Apple | Apple ARKit | Allows apps to integrate AR experiences using device cameras | Facial recognition, spatial tracking |
| Google ARCore | Provides tools for creating AR content and tracking surfaces | User location, movement patterns | |
| Microsoft | Microsoft Spatial Anchors | Enables AR experiences that persist across devices | Location data, persistent spatial data |
| Snap | Snap Lens Studio | Develops AR lenses using real-world camera input | User data capture, behavioral tracking |
Biometrically Inferred Data: Personal Insights in Plain Sight
Spatial computing devices collect detailed biometric information, including biometrically inferred data via a multitude of data points, such as:
- Eye-tracking: Capturing attention, cognitive engagement, and emotional responses.
- Facial recognition: Identifying emotional states and potential psychological conditions.
- Body tracking: Recording gestures, posture, and detailed physical interactions.
- Spatial mapping: Creating precise digital replicas of physical environments.
Many users remain unaware of the extent and sensitivity of data being inferred, frequently without clear consent, creating critical privacy risks.
The Data Journey: From Device to Cloud
Captured data flows through Passthrough APIs and undergoes processing either locally or via cloud infrastructures, raising urgent questions:
- Who controls this deeply personal data?
- Are the methods of storing and transmitting data secure enough?
- Who determines the acceptable use of this sensitive information?
Throughout my tenure at Meta and now at XRSI, I’ve seen these crucial governance questions regularly overlooked, resulting in significant vulnerabilities.
AI and Biometric Data: Predictive Power with Real-World Impact
Artificial intelligence (AI) greatly enhances the potential of spatial computing data. Advanced AI techniques, including convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for image processing and recurrent neural networks (RNNs) for behavioral analysis, can interpret biometric data to predict emotional and cognitive states in real-time (Deep Learning for Facial Expression Recognition, IEEE).
This predictive capability means AR and VR headsets could recognize subtle emotional cues, such as stress or anxiety, potentially altering the user’s digital experience or delivering targeted interactions without explicit consent. While beneficial in contexts like mental health support, this powerful capability could easily lead to intrusive emotional profiling or behavioral manipulation.
Surveillance Risks in Spatial Computing
Spatial computing significantly enhances traditional surveillance capabilities. Real-time biometric monitoring can generate persistent and subtle surveillance environments, allowing corporations, governments, or malicious actors to construct highly intrusive behavioral profiles. The OECD Immersive Technologies Primer highlights the urgent need for robust ethical guidelines to address these amplified surveillance risks.
The Path Forward: Data Governance is Everyone’s Responsibility
Privacy in the age of spatial computing isn’t just a technical challenge – it’s a societal one. At XRSI, we believe the foundation of trust must be built not by a few, but by all. Regulators can set boundaries. Companies can innovate responsibly. However, lasting impact comes only when developers, businesses, and individuals align around one truth: data governance is everyone’s responsibility.
Each of us has a role in shaping how data flows, how it’s used, and whom it ultimately serves. By insisting on transparency, demanding meaningful consent, and questioning the invisible systems around us, we don’t just protect privacy; we create a future where technology uplifts rather than exploits.
The architecture of tomorrow’s digital world is being drafted today. What kind of future we live in and what kind of choices we make are up to us.
