OVRseen: Auditing Network Traffic and Privacy Policies in Oculus VR

The OVRseen study exposes discrepancies between Oculus VR’s privacy policies and actual data practices.

Overview

Authors: Rahmadi Trimananda, Hieu Le, Hao Cui, Janice Tran Ho, Anastasia Shuba, and Athina Markopoulou

Publication Date: 19 November 2021

Link: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2106.05407

Keywords: Privacy, data security, Oculus VR, network traffic analysis, third-party data sharing, XR, privacy policy discrepancies, user consent, regulatory oversight, transparency

Type: Peer-Reviewed Journals/White Papers

Summary

The OVRseen study exposes discrepancies between Oculus VR’s privacy policies and actual data practices. Researchers analyzed network traffic and found user data being shared with third parties beyond what was disclosed, often without clear consent. This raises serious concerns about transparency and privacy in XR. The study highlights the need for stronger oversight and enforcement to protect users in immersive spaces.