Virtual Reality (VR) is an exciting technology. More than simply entertainment, VR is being used for applications in education, medicine and more. For example, VR is being used to treat PTSD in military veterans. Along with the benefits of VR come risks, though. The risks tend to fall into three broad categories: physical risk, digital risk and legal risk.
Tech writer Josh Miller has several concerns about the physical risks associated with VR and says that even, “in prepared demo rooms, where extensive steps are taken to be safe – and there’s almost always a staffer standing right behind me making sure I don’t slip or trip – (things) still happen.” Among the risks as he sees them:
- It can make you sick. Fatigue, nausea and vertigo are reduced with some new designs, but the simulated motion can make you ill.
- You cannot see your surroundings. It would be easy to injure yourself or others as you swing your arms, duck and move around while wearing a headset that blocks the outside world.
- There are cables between you and your computer and game system. The cables pose a hazard as you may trip over them or become tangled in them.
- The screen may only be an inch or so from your eyes. Having a screen directly in front of your eyes for an extended period could cause eye strain or worse.
Miller recommends, “Set up your home playing space safely, and keep it away from big common areas or little kids or pets. And I’d still recommend playing alone. And seated — or at least standing still. Maybe with someone watching you the first few times, just in case.”
The digital risks relate to information gathering and security. As with many other Internet of Things devices, VR devices may be designed without adequate security and be subject to malware, data breaches and hacking. For example, hackers might launch a visual attack that causes seizures or other physical reactions.
VR systems can gather and track information about users, such as where they have been and what they have watched. GearBrain suggests taking measures to protect yourself in the VR world right from the start. They recommend that users:
- be aware of the data that is collected about them,
- change default settings and
- set up a separate email address and passwords for VR devices.
There are also legal questions about how civil and criminal issues in the virtual world will be handled in the real world. The American Bar Association has identified a few of the possible legal issues that may arise with VR:
- If a VR user spends hours designing a virtual car, can someone be prosecuted for hacking into the user’s device and deleting the vehicle?
- If a VR user plays a fighting game with another VR user and a virtual punch causes a real-life injury, are we prepared to charge the user with assault?
- What if a VR user places a trademark-protected logo on a virtual shirt that the user wears in the virtual world?
- What if that user begins “selling” that shirt to other users in exchange for virtual coins?
- If a program allows participants to walk around as a user-created avatar, can someone be liable for false light, defamation, or identity theft claims if the avatar looks identical to someone from the real world?
New applications for VR are being developed every day. As this technology evolves we will see both its promise and its dangers.
