Administrators from the Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Michigan say that users and providers of emerging XR technologies should be conscious of privacy, security and safety challenges. Richard LaFosse, compliance and policy lead for academic innovation at the University of Michigan, says XR technologies such as VR headsets far exceed webcams in terms of data capture concerning one’s surroundings, so it’s easy to see how similar violations might be found where privacy considerations are left out of XR initiatives, particularly if students are using devices in their home where the expectation of privacy is so high,” he said. “XR devices collect a lot of [personally identifiable information] that could trigger [Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act] FERPA protections.”
