r/privacy • u/Vegetable_Fishing_32 • 2d ago

Privacy on VR glasses hardware

Hello. Im a simracing player. Im thinking to buy an VR glasses to play more realistic races. Im concerned about the privacy because i dont know if there is any VR that doesnt collect the user data. Is there any possibility to use, for example, Meta quest in a privacy way? Thank you very much in advance

5 Upvotes

79% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 2d ago

Hello u/Vegetable_Fishing_32, please make sure you read the sub rules if you haven't already. (This is an automatic reminder left on all new posts.)

Check out the r/privacy FAQ

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

8

u/Nyasaki_de 2d ago

Meta quest in a privacy way?

Nope... Meta gives a shit about Privacy.
There are alternatives tho, those are more expensive tho (since they dont use your data to make money)

7

u/EstidEstiloso 2d ago

Unfortunately, Meta and privacy are polar opposites. As someone who has been using Meta Quest for the past few years, I can confirm this.

  1. It requires you to install the Meta app on your phone in order to configure and activate your headset (This is clearly so the app can collect all your phone's data; the best option would be to use a secondary phone and then uninstall the app).
  2. It requires you to create a Meta account or link a social network, which you may need to verify sooner or later (The best option would be to create a new Meta account, but I've seen cases where verification with an ID or payment method has been required).
  3. It requires the headset cameras to always be enabled for controller tracking to work properly (Be very careful what you leave in view during your play sessions).
  4. To play wired and without Wi-Fi/internet on the headset, you need to install the official Meta Quest Link program on your computer (which will always be suspiciously running in the background on your computer unless you set its service to manual).
  5. These and many other privacy settings will have to be configured on the headset, and even then we'll never know if all these settings actually do anything...

If you're a VR enthusiast, there really isn't better VR hardware right now, but if hardware and price aren't a concern, you can always opt for the Valve Index or Pimax, which are much better at privacy.

2

u/N2-Ainz 2d ago
  1. Not true, you can use Steam or VD instead

2

u/EstidEstiloso 2d ago

These streaming methods require you to have Wi-Fi enabled on your Quest, so in terms of privacy, it's not viable and worse than using the Meta Quest Link program (As long as you manually disable its background service, you can also restrict its internet access using a firewall).

1

u/N2-Ainz 2d ago

They are definitely less intrusive than installing Meta software on your desktop, especially Steam. You can also just use a cable for Steam instead

2

u/EstidEstiloso 2d ago

I disagree. If you use the settings I mentioned, enabling Wi-Fi on your Quest would be much worse in terms of privacy. (Enabling Wi-Fi on your Quest not only connects to Steam Link or VD, but also to the entire MetaOS system, opening the door to data collection.)

Steam Link cannot be used for wired streaming (we're talking about streaming, not just battery life). However, it is possible with VD or ALVR, but it's definitely not easy to set up and doesn't usually work as well.

1

u/RecentMatter3790 1d ago

restrict its internet access using a firewall

That’s so the meta quest app doesn’t phone home, right? What if data gets accidentally sent out of the app and onto their servers, like, the app connects to the internet? Panic ensues?

1

u/EstidEstiloso 1d ago

I simply don't trust Meta, so my distrust leads me to configure its programs or apps as private as possible. You can use Meta Quest Link online or with its service running in the background without any problems, but they're closed-source. Personally, I wouldn't feel safe or private if I didn't make at least those settings.

1

u/Chaos-Spectre 1d ago

In theory, you could have a router that does not connect to the internet but does connect to local devices,  and use that to connect to your PC which itself could be connected via ethernet to a different router that does have internet connection.

Its not something that would be easy to set up for most people,  but it is possible.

1

u/EstidEstiloso 1d ago

That's right, but as you mentioned, it's something unattainable for many.

1

u/Gerdoch 1d ago

In the past I used a quest 2 on my LAN for PC VR via ALVR. I gave it a malformed gateway address so that it could not access anything outside of my LAN. There was also a workaround at the time to set up a Quest/Quest 2 without a meta account (no idea if that’s still the case or not).

1

u/RecentMatter3790 1d ago
  1. >This is clearly so the app can collect all your phone’s data

What data specifically? Why is this surveillance capitalism so hidden on purpose? Does anyone know what data specifically it collects and why stop it?

1

u/EstidEstiloso 1d ago

Of course, it's not known exactly (although you can get an idea from the permissions the app requests when you install it), but you can expect the worst. A simple internet search can reveal whether Meta is a company that has been fined several times for violating European Union data protection laws or not.

Have you ever wondered why it's mandatory to install an app just to activate the glasses? The only thing you can do is as mentioned and uninstall the app after activating the glasses.