Designing for Safety, Privacy and Inclusivity in Social VR

This chapter addresses the imperative of designing social VR environments with safety, privacy and inclusivity at the forefront. It explores principles and best practices proposed by industry stakeholders for creating responsible XR systems. The chapter delves into the privacy concerns posed by biometric and spatial data collection in VR, emphasising the need for continuous consent and informed user choices. It critiques the gendered and ableist biases in current VR design, highlighting the risks of motion sickness and accessibility barriers, and advocates for prioritising accessibility in VR development; the representation of disabilities in avatars; and the importance of including disabled individuals in the design process. Finally, it discusses safety considerations for children, including age-gating and parental controls. The overarching theme is the ethical responsibility of VR developers to create environments that are safe, private and welcoming to all users.