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Unauthorized filming with VR headset: Meta Quest 3 misappropriated by first buyers

Meta Quest 3 may have greater chances of success in the mainstream than Google Glass
Meta Quest 3 may have greater chances of success in the mainstream than Google Glass
Meta Quest 3 is a new VR headset designed primarily for an immersive gaming experience, but is being utilized by early buyers in public spaces for very different purposes. The unusual use of Quest 3 suggests that Mark Zuckerberg's plan to make virtual reality headsets attractive to the masses may be working.

For the first time, people are daring to wear the new Meta Quest 3 VR headset in public, which may not come as a surprise considering Mark Zuckerberg's description of the Quest 3 as the first "mainstream reality headset". However, wearing virtual reality headsets in public has repeatedly led to controversy and even assault in the past due to data protection concerns.

For the Quest 3, while games are the most common category of apps, about half of which are mixed reality games, the combination of real world and gaming is particularly appealing to many people.

After the first recordings in- and outside of a San Francisco café, where not even the name of the café was hidden, others dared to do more, such as Jay Mayo, who filmed strangers at the New York Comic Con. Kukurio59 filmed himself waiting for an elevator, which in itself is a socially awkward situation.

First recordings in front of an elevator with Quest 3
First recordings in front of an elevator with Quest 3
On the move with VR at New York Comic Con
On the move with VR at New York Comic Con

About ten years ago, the use of Meta's predecessor, Google Glass, was so frowned upon by the public that there was even an attack on a woman wearing Google Glass as well as an attack on an XR pioneer in Paris when he put on similar VR glasses. Since then, however, public opinion has shifted considerably.

For example, many have become accustomed to smartphones being used for filming and tolerate live stories being produced on every corner for Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and the like, even if it means invading the privacy of strangers. Small businesses, meanwhile, now generally consider it an advantage to have a social media presence. So it may well be that the virtual reality glasses will be less subject to public criticism this time around. 

With Quest 3, however, it is difficult to tell if a video is being recorded. There is a small, slowly pulsating LED light, but this also lights up independently of the recording.

In contrast to the inconspicuous, smart glasses from Meta made by Ray-Ban, for which data protection declarations have been published, as well as guidelines such as actively informing people when they are being recorded, there do not seem to be any such guidelines for the Quest 3. Either way, it is likely that many will have the feeling of being recorded when someone enters the room with a relatively imposing-looking Quest 3.

Quelle(n)

The Verge | Wired | Teaser-Bild: @kukurio59 (TikTok)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2023 10 > Unauthorized filming with VR headset: Meta Quest 3 misappropriated by first buyers
Nicole Dominikowski, 2023-10-19 (Update: 2023-10-19)