Privacy Awareness of Spatial Sharing System based on 3D Point Cloud: Insights from a User Survey

With advancements in Metaverse and sensing technologies, there is growing anticipation for systems that connect distant spaces and facilitate immersive interactions. In particular, proposals for spatial sharing systems that scan real-world spaces and merge participants’ spaces in a virtual environment have been put forward. However, due to their detailed sensing of participants’ environments, such novel systems present unique privacy concerns, such as leaking personal tastes that differ from those in traditional phone calls or standard video conferences. This study aims to elucidate the specific privacy concerns arising from spatial sharing systems. Furthermore, we investigate whether processing the sensed spaces within spatial sharing systems can mitigate these privacy issues. A prototype of the spatial sharing system using LiDAR cameras with a mechanism for hiding objects of concern for privacy was developed and tested with 41 participants wearing VR goggles. A minimum of one response per family was obtained, totaling 16 responses. The survey results revealed the usefulness of the spatial sharing system and how privacy concerns vary according to gender, familiarity with information technology, and age. The findings of this study are valuable for designing privacy filters in various systems involving spatial sharing, such as interactions in the Metaverse.