There are a lot of threats to our right to mental privacy from neuro-technologies as well as from virtual and augmented reality. In this talk I do a survey of physiological & biometric measurement devices, discuss what I've learned on my journey into VR Privacy, discuss some of the different philosophies of privacy, and talk about some of the human rights approaches aimed to protect our right to mental privacy.
YouTube Talk can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIpD4-gYImU
Presented at the VRARA Global Summit on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
9. How do we preserve the Right
to Mental Privacy in XR?
Biometrically-inferred psychographic data from
XR is not covered by existing privacy laws.
Some biometric user data will be contextually-
relevant & required for some XR apps to
function, which users should be able to consent
to sharing within the context of those apps.
Companies require users to consent to their
Terms of Service & Privacy Policies, which do
not prevent them them from recording &
monetizing user data, extrapolating biometric
psychographic information, or using it for
contextually-aware AI, but they have limited
what third party developers can do with that
same data.
Human Rights
Principles
International Organizations
International Laws &
Human Rights Laws
UN Guiding
Principles on
Business &
Human Rights
Neuro-Rights
Initiative
Right to
Mental
Privacy
XR
Hardware +
Operating
System
Ethical
Design
Principles?
XR User’s Context & Data
Third-Party
XR Developers
XR Experiences
that Require User
Data to Operate
US Government
Lobbyists
European
Union
GDPR
XR Companies
State
Laws
Federal
Laws
Oversight & Enforcement
New
Federal
Privacy
Law?
Monetizing
User Data &
Biometric
Psychography?
Contextually
-Aware AI?
Terms of
Service
Privacy
Policy
App
Store
Developer
Terms of
Service
10. ● Physiological & Biometric Inputs
● My Journey into VR Privacy
● Different Philosophies of Privacy
● Protecting Right to Mental Privacy
11.
12. (1) The right to identity, or the ability to
control both one’s physical and mental
integrity
(2) The right to agency, or the freedom of
thought and free will to choose one’s own
actions
(3) The right to mental privacy, or the
ability to keep thoughts protected against
disclosure
(4) The right to fair access to mental
augmentation, or the ability to ensure that
the benefits of improvements to sensory and
mental capacity through neurotechnology
are distributed justly in the population.
(5) The right to protection from
algorithmic bias, or the ability to ensure
that technologies do not insert prejudices.
Proposed Neuro-Rights
Yuste, R.,Genser, J. & Herrmann, S. "It's Time for Neuro-Rights." Horizons: Journal of International Relations and
Sustainable Development, no. 18, 2021. pp 154-164. JSTOR,
https://www.cirsd.org/en/horizons/horizons-winter-2021-issue-no-18/its-time-for-neuro--rights. Accessed 31 Mar. 2021.
13. Bye, K. (2021, May 26) https://twitter.com/kentbye/status/1397571341297934336 Bye, K. (2021, May 26) https://twitter.com/kentbye/status/1397573000208080896
14.
15. Simon Wardley’s Model of Technology Evolution
Wardley, Simon (2015). http://blog.gardeviance.org/2015/03/evolution-diffusion-hype-cycle-and.html
17. Simon Wardley’s Model of Technology Evolution
Wardley, Simon (2015). http://blog.gardeviance.org/2015/03/evolution-diffusion-hype-cycle-and.html
18.
19. Bernal, G. (2021,April 15). Developing Galea:An open source tool at the intersection ofVR and
neuroscience. MIT Media Lab. https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/galea/.
neurojoe. (2020, November 19). Introducing: Galea. OpenBCI.
https://openbci.com/community/introducing-galea-bci-hmd-biosensing/.
21. Bye, K. (2017, March 20). #517: Biometric Data Streams & the Unknown EthicalThreshold of Predicting & Controlling Behavior. Voices ofVR Podcast.
https://voicesofvr.com/517-biometric-data-streams-the-unknown-ethical-threshold-of-predicting-controlling-behavior/.
22. Bye, K. (2021,April 8). #988: Defining “Biometric Psychography” to Fill Gaps in Privacy Law to Cover XR Data: Brittan Heller’s Human Rights Perspectives.Voices ofVR
Podcast. https://voicesofvr.com/988-defining-biometric-psychography-to-fill-gaps-in-privacy-law-to-cover-xr-data-brittan-hellers-human-rights-perspectives/
23. Brittan Heller,Watching Androids Dream of Electric Sheep: Immersive Technology, Biometric Psychography, and the Law, 23
Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment andTechnology Law 1 (2021) Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw/vol23/iss1/1
26. Brittan Heller,Watching Androids Dream of Electric Sheep: Immersive Technology, Biometric Psychography, and the Law, 23
Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment andTechnology Law 1 (2021) Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw/vol23/iss1/1
27. Miller, M.R., Herrera, F., Jun, H. et al. Personal identifiability of user tracking data during observation of 360-degreeVR
video. Sci Rep 10, 17404 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74486-y
28. Biometric
Psychography
Identity
Miller, M.R., Herrera, F., Jun, H. et al. Personal identifiability of user tracking data during
observation of 360-degreeVR video. Sci Rep 10, 17404 (2020).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74486-y
29. Privacy as Static Privacy as Dynamic
Identity
Immutable Traits
Stored Forever
Context Independent
Personally-Identifiable
Information
Psychographic Profile
Transient Likes/Dislikes
Processed Real-time
Context-Dependent
Character & Personality
30. Biometric
Psychography
Identity
Miller, M.R., Herrera, F., Jun, H. et al. Personal identifiability of user tracking data during
observation of 360-degreeVR video. Sci Rep 10, 17404 (2020).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74486-y
31. Birkett,A. (2020, February 8). Psychographics:What They Are & How Marketers Use Them. CXL. https://cxl.com/blog/psychographics/.
34. Bernal, G. (2021,April 15). Developing Galea:An open source tool at the intersection ofVR and neuroscience. MIT Media Lab. https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/galea/.
35. “True character is revealed in the choices
a human being makes under pressure -
the greater the pressure, the deeper the
revelation, the truer the choice to the
character's essential nature.”
― Robert McKee
McKee, R. (1997). Story: Substance, structure, style and the principles of screenwriting.
37. Identity (Age, Race, Gender)
Economic Class
Values
Language
Education
Age & Generation
History
Country of Origin
Sports, Arts, & Entertainment
Medical Conditions
Romantic Partnership
Heroes/Enemies
Experiences of Death
Worldview & Beliefs
Religion
Work & Career
Culture
Intersectional Identities
Ability
Taboos
RANGE OF CONTEXTS
40. Mental Thoughts
Cognitive Processes
Cognitive Load
Social Presence
Behaviors
Intention
Actions
Movement
Affective State
Emotional Sentiment
Facial Expression
Microexpressions
Stress / Arousal
Physiological Reactions
Eye Gaze/Attention
Body Language
Muscle Fatigue
41. Passi, E. (2017, January 10). Bringing theWestworld Attribute Matrix to Life. Medium. https://epassi.medium.com/recreating-the-westworld-attribute-matrix-3e72d9d419df.
42. Big Five Personality Characteristics
Goldberg, L. R. (1990). An alternative "description of personality": The Big-Five factor structure. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 59(6), 1216–1229. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.59.6.1216
43. Sacharin, V., Schlegel K., & Scherer K. R. (2012). Geneva Emotion Wheel
Rating Study. Swiss Center for Affective Sciences
Feelings Needs
Expressing Empathy [The Wheel of Needs]. School of Transformation. (2012, June).
http://www.schooltransformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Expressing_Empathy.pdf.
44.
45. Biometric
Psychography
Identity
Miller, M.R., Herrera, F., Jun, H. et al. Personal identifiability of user tracking data during
observation of 360-degreeVR video. Sci Rep 10, 17404 (2020).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74486-y
46. ● Physiological & Biometric Inputs
● My Journey into VR Privacy
● Different Philosophies of Privacy
● Protecting Right to Mental Privacy
48. UploadVR’s April 2016 Article on Oculus’ Privacy
Policy Catches the Attention of Senator Franken
Mason,W. (2016,April 1). Oculus 'Always On' Services and Privacy Policy May Be a Cause for
Concern. UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/facebook-oculus-privacy/.
Durbin, J. (2016,April 7). Senator Al Franken Questions Oculus Over Privacy Concerns. UploadVR.
https://uploadvr.com/senator-al-franken-wants-answers-from-oculus-over-privacy-concerns/.
51. Bye, K. (2017, January 13). #493: IsVirtual Reality the Most Powerful Surveillance Technology or Last Bastion of Privacy?.Voices ofVR Podcast.
https://voicesofvr.com/is-virtual-reality-the-most-powerful-surveillance-technology-or-last-bastion-of-privacy/.
52. Yadin, Gilad,Virtual Reality Surveillance (February 15, 2017).
Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal,
Vol. 35, No. 3, 2017,Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3043922
Bye, K. (2020, June 27) https://twitter.com/kentbye/status/1287832258947084288
53.
54. Hamilton, I. (2018,August 6). Privacy Summit At Stanford Will DraftVR 'Bill Of Rights'. UploadVR.
https://uploadvr.com/privacy-summit-stanford-vr-bill-of-rights/.
55. Allen,Anita L., 2019,“The Philosophy of Privacy and Digital Life”, Proceedings
and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association, 93: 21–38.
Reiheld,,A. (2019, January 9).Twitter. https://twitter.com/AlisonReiheld/status/1083124129111396353.
60. Bye, K. (2019, May 31). The Ethical & Moral Dilemmas of Mixed Reality.Augmented World Expo. Santa Clara; California.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNgXKX8IwcU
61. Bye, K., Hosfelt, D., Chase, S., Miesnieks, M., & Beck,T. (2019).
The ethical and privacy implications of mixed reality. ACM
SIGGRAPH 2019 Panels.
https://doi.org/10.1145/3306212.3328138
64. Bye, K. (2020, March 11). #892 Sundance:‘Persuasion Machines’ is Architectural Storytelling Against Surveillance Capitalism.Voices ofVR Podcast.
https://voicesofvr.com/892-sundance-persuasion-machines-is-architectural-storytelling-against-surveillance-capitalism/.
65. [University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School]. (2015, June 17). Privacy Conference: Law, Ethics, and Philosophy of End User Responsibility for Privacy [Video
File]. Recorded on April 24, 2015. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WIB_2isRxw on March 10, 2020.
66. ● Physiological & Biometric Inputs
● My Journey into VR Privacy
● Different Philosophies of Privacy
● Protecting Right to Mental Privacy
67. Libertarian:
Privacy as
Property Right
to be Bought,
Sold, or Traded
Contextual Integrity:
Privacy as Appropriate
Information Flows
that Meets Contextual
Norms
Paternalistic:
Privacy as
Human Right
That Needs to be
Protected By the
State
68. Privacy as the
control of private
information.
Alan Westin (1967)
Westin,A. F. (1967). Privacy and freedom. NewYork:Atheneum.
69. Bye, K. (2020, October 7). #951: Privacy Primer:A History of U.S. Consumer Privacy, U.S. Federal Privacy Debates, & XR Privacy Implications with Joseph Jerome.Voices of VR
Podcast. https://voicesofvr.com/951-privacy-primer-a-history-of-u-s-consumer-privacy-u-s-federal-privacy-debates-xr-privacy-implications-with-joseph-jerome/.
70. U.S. Dep't. of Health, Education and Welfare, Secretary's Advisory Committee on Automated Personal
Data Systems, Records, computers, and the Rights of Citizens viii (1973).
Fair Information Practice Principles (1973)
73. Supplemental Oculus Data Policy. Oculus. (2020, October 11). https://www.oculus.com/legal/privacy-policy/.
74. Park, C. (2020, March 23). How "Notice and Consent" Fails to Protect Our Privacy. New America.
https://www.newamerica.org/oti/blog/how-notice-and-consent-fails-to-protect-our-privacy/.
76. TheIACR. (2019, October 4). International Association for Cryptologic Research, Invited talk: Contextual Integrity.YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVRbvxVGDoc.
77. HumanCenteredDesignE. (2021, March 9). 2021 Distinguished Lecture: Helen Nissenbaum, "Contextual Integrity".YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPwmC0Sfe50.
78.
79. HumanCenteredDesignE. (2021, March 9). 2021 Distinguished Lecture: Helen Nissenbaum, "Contextual Integrity".YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPwmC0Sfe50.
80. TheIACR. (2019, October 4). International Association for Cryptologic Research, Invited talk: Contextual Integrity.YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVRbvxVGDoc.
82. Bye, K. (2021, May 26) https://twitter.com/kentbye/status/1397648299797012480 Bye, K. (2021, May 26) https://twitter.com/kentbye/status/1397648577011195904
83. Libertarian:
Privacy as
Property Right
to be Bought,
Sold, or Traded
Contextual Integrity:
Privacy as Appropriate
Information Flows
that Meets Contextual
Norms
Paternalistic:
Privacy as
Human Right
That Needs to be
Protected By the
State
84. ● Physiological & Biometric Inputs
● My Journey into VR Privacy
● Different Philosophies of Privacy
● Protecting Right to Mental Privacy
85. Lessig, Lawrence, Code 2.0, Chapter: What Things Regulate (available in print:
Lawrence Lessig (2006). Code. Lawrence Lessig. pp. 120–137. ISBN
978-0-465-03914-2.
Lessig’s Pathetic
Dot Theory
Nested
Contexts
vs
86. Lessig’s Pathetic Dot Theory
Lessig, Lawrence, Code 2.0, Chapter: What Things Regulate (available in print:
Lawrence Lessig (2006). Code. Lawrence Lessig. pp. 120–137. ISBN 978-0-465-03914-2.
Market
Law
Cultural
Norms
Technology
Architecture
& Code
96. How do we preserve the Right
to Mental Privacy in XR?
Biometrically-inferred psychographic data from
XR is not covered by existing privacy laws.
Some biometric user data will be contextually-
relevant & required for some XR apps to
function, which users should be able to consent
to sharing within the context of those apps.
Companies require users to consent to their
Terms of Service & Privacy Policies, which do
not prevent them them from recording &
monetizing user data, extrapolating biometric
psychographic information, or using it for
contextually-aware AI, but they have limited
what third party developers can do with that
same data.
Human Rights
Principles
International Organizations
International Laws &
Human Rights Laws
UN Guiding
Principles on
Business &
Human Rights
Neuro-Rights
Initiative
Right to
Mental
Privacy
XR
Hardware +
Operating
System
Ethical
Design
Principles?
XR User’s Context & Data
Third-Party
XR Developers
XR Experiences
that Require User
Data to Operate
US Government
Lobbyists
European
Union
GDPR
XR Companies
State
Laws
Federal
Laws
Oversight & Enforcement
New
Federal
Privacy
Law?
Monetizing
User Data &
Biometric
Psychography?
Contextually
-Aware AI?
Terms of
Service
Privacy
Policy
App
Store
Developer
Terms of
Service
97. (1) The right to identity
(2) The right to agency
(3) The right to mental privacy
(4) The right to fair access to mental
augmentation
(5) The right to protection from
algorithmic bias
Proposed
Neuro-Rights
Yuste, R.,Genser, J. & Herrmann, S. "It's Time for Neuro-Rights." Horizons: Journal of International Relations and Sustainable Development, no. 18,
2021. pp 154-164. JSTOR, https://www.cirsd.org/en/horizons/horizons-winter-2021-issue-no-18/its-time-for-neuro--rights. Accessed 31 Mar. 2021.
98. ● Physiological & Biometric Inputs
● My Journey into VR Privacy
● Different Philosophies of Privacy
● Protecting Right to Mental Privacy