We should start thinking about Privacy Implications of Sonic Input in Everyday Augmented Reality!

Abstract

Evolution in technology causes privacy issues, which are currently under intense discussion. Here, much attention is given to smart cameras, the Internet of Things and the Internet in general, while sonic AR systems are overlooked. Many users, for example, blindfold their laptop cameras with physical layers, but it seems as if no attention is drawn to the sonic hardware that can be hacked just like cameras. In this position paper, we highlight everyday situations that are prone to cause privacy problems through Sonic AR. We then look at current proposals to protect users from camera-caused privacy violations as examples and discuss how they could be adopted to prevent sonic information misuse. We conclude by stating that the current privacy discussion overlooks Sonic AR, although this is a channel across which even more detailed and hence, more sensitive, information can be communicated and misused.