How the Meta Quest Pro's eye-tracking feature can intrude on users' privacy

The Meta Quest Pro is an upcoming VR headset that was announced by the California-based tech giant earlier this week. It is the flagship state-of-the-art option that users can choose from. Meta is mainly targeting the product at users who want to experience the Metaverse without compromise; however, the device seems to be facing some controversy before launch.

The Meta Quest Pro is introducing eye tracking to gather real-time user feedback on ads. Since human beings express most emotions via eye movements, they will be the best test for judging advert-viewing experience, as per the company.

The device will use eye tracking and Natural Facial Expressions to create more accurate avatars and allow users to interact with the Metaverse in multiple possible ways.

Although the company has advertised that the Meta Quest Pro has been built with privacy in mind and will allow users to stay in control of their data and experience in the Metaverse, the announcement has already raised several concerns.

---

The Meta Quest Pro will collect every bit of user data

Meta has equipped the Quest Pro with sixteen cameras, in contrast to the four infrared capture devices employed with the Oculus Quest 2. All of these cameras are tasked with collecting user data and improving the Metaverse experience. The Quest Pro has five cameras each on the interior and exterior of the device. Meanwhile, three have been placed on each Touch Pro controller.

These cameras will capture and upload information about the user, their surroundings, facial expressions, and eye movements. On the bright side, the device will process raw images from the sensors in real-time and delete the files once the procedure is complete.

Meta has notified users that it will allow them to opt out of storing the raw files and any additional data on its servers. According to the company, the data will be "deleted or disassociated from your account." However, there is a possibility that the content might still be stored on Meta's servers.

Major privacy concerns arise when this data is shared with third-party applications and services. However, the company has announced that it will implement certain checkpoints to let users know that their data is being collected. One such move is the addition of an eye-tracking icon next to the apps that will be using the feature.

The Meta Quest Pro, upon launch on October 25, will have the Natural Facial Expressions and eye tracking turned off by default, according to the company. However, since these features are the main highlights of the VR headset, Meta will naturally push users to utilize them to their full potential in an effort to use the gadget the way it was intended to.

In a Wired report published by Khari Johnson, experts argued that after collecting such overwhelming amount of information from the users, several services and apps can utilize it to emotionally exploit users in the VR experience. The data can then be used to personalize ads to such an extent that they will not feel like adverts anymore.

The Meta Quest Pro has introduced several technological marvels to further alleviate the VR experience. However, the concerns surrounding the technology and the device are alarming for users.