TBD | Apple Vision Pro: The Ultimate Surveillance Device?
Feb 18, 2024
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Geoffrey Fowler, Washington Post tech columnist, discusses Apple Vision Pro goggles, highlighting privacy concerns with data collection on users and surroundings. Topics include detailed tracking capabilities, privacy issues, comparison to Google Glass, and ethical implications of consent.
Apple Vision Pro collects extensive data on users' surroundings and movements, posing significant privacy risks.
Detailed user data, including eye movements, can be exploited for surveillance and targeted advertising purposes.
Deep dives
Privacy Concerns with the Vision Pro
The Vision Pro, Apple's latest face computer, has raised significant privacy concerns. With its 12 cameras, six microphones, and various sensors, the device collects more data than any other personal device. The Vision Pro maps out users' surroundings and tracks their movements, creating a complete map of their bodies. This data can reveal intimate details about individuals and has the potential to be exploited for surveillance or targeted advertising. While Apple has implemented some limitations and privacy measures, questions remain about data access and potential future changes. Privacy advocates argue that more scrutiny is needed, as this technology becomes more embedded in our lives.
The Implications of Room Mapping and Precise Movement Tracking
One major concern with the Vision Pro is its ability to map out users' surroundings and precisely track their movements. This level of data collection goes beyond what other personal devices like Garmin or Apple Watches can capture. The detailed information about users' hands, head, and eye movement is highly unique to each individual, making it potentially valuable for identification purposes. Researchers have demonstrated that this data can even be as effective as a fingerprint in identifying individuals. Additionally, the device's ability to track eye movement raises specific privacy concerns, as it can reveal valuable insights about a person's interests and desires. Advertisers and data brokers could leverage this information to target individuals more effectively.
Apple's Privacy Measures and Future Considerations
Apple, known for its emphasis on privacy, has implemented some privacy measures with the Vision Pro. They limit data access to the front camera and eye tracking, and apps require explicit user permission to access room information. However, there are concerns about the potential loosening of these limitations in the future as third-party developers seek access to more data for app development. The tension lies in Apple's desire for developers to create innovative experiences while maintaining data privacy. The history of past product launches and decisions, such as those related to iPhone and app store permissions, suggests that ongoing vigilance and scrutiny are necessary to safeguard users' privacy as this technology continues to evolve.
Apple Vision Pro goggles might be a crime against fashion but with the amount of data they can collect—both on the world around the user and on the users themselves—they have the potential to invade privacy right down to where you’re looking and for how long.
Guest: Geoffrey Fowler, Washington Post tech columnist
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