Navigating Privacy Challenges in the Metaverse: A Comprehensive Examination of Current Technologies and Platforms

The metaverse's rise brings unique privacy challenges. While existing research has broadly surveyed security and privacy in this domain, our article provides a targeted analysis of user privacy within notable VR/MR devices and platforms. We critically evaluate their stated policies, specifically examining practices of data handling, tracking, identity management, and consent. Additionally, we analyze the mechanisms of cross-platform data sharing and software integrations. Moving beyond previous works, we dissect the practical application of these policies, providing a granular look at the intersection of personalization and privacy. Our study also reviews privacy-enhancing technologies and the implications of legal regulations to advance the state of the art in metaverse privacy discourse.