Apple Vision Pro has a number of strong privacy protections, including restrictions on how third-party developers can access camera data. . A new report from The Information Today examines how Apple's concerns that the Vision Pro would be a Google Glass-level privacy war have impacted third-party developers.
We remind you that Vision Pro developers do not have access to images from the device’s camera. Instead, third-party apps may request access to “environmental data.” It's built on a 3D model that uses a combination of camera data and LiDAR to map the area around you.
According to former Apple employees cited in today's report, Apple has placed special privacy concerns on Vision Pro, in part to to prevent Vision Pro from becoming the next Google Glass:
The company is one of the most vocal in the tech industry about the importance of privacy, and is the most hyper-secure of its brand. Former Apple employees say Apple wants to avoid what happened with Google Glass, a wearable device that caused a huge stir more than a decade ago because having a camera on the product made people uncomfortable around those wearing it.
However, these limitations have impacted the ability of some developers to create Vision Pro applications.
This is the opinion of Anthony Vitillo, an augmented reality and virtual reality developer who created the fitness game HitMotion: Reloaded for Quest from Meta Platform. He would like to gain access to the Vision Pro camera to create a version of HitMotion for Vision Pro that would allow users to interact with real-world objects, such as a punching bag.
“People are doing a lot of experiments with AI and mixed reality.” , – he said. “A combination of the two would be great, especially for the Vision Pro as it is a premium device and should have premium features. I think this would be a great way to unlock more of its functionality.”
The report also includes the case study of Kalani Helekunihi, an augmented reality developer who “creates apps for older adults and people with disabilities.” Khelekunihi says restrictions on camera access prevented him from releasing the Vision Pro app, which would provide “people with limited vision with a description of their surroundings and act as a virtual cane, warning them when they approach obstacles.” #8221;
It is reported that Apple could implement a text solution, but it is not considered a priority:
Avi Bar-Zeev, an industry consultant who previously worked on AR products at Microsoft and Apple said developers should learn to live with the limitations of cameras in AR devices. For example, their apps may have to make do with text descriptions rather than images and recordings of what their devices' cameras see.
“That's the direction everyone is moving in,” he said.
Former Apple employees who worked on Vision Pro said this is exactly what Apple wants to do in the future, to give third-party apps a better understanding of objects and their surroundings. However, it was considered a low priority compared to all the other software features Apple had to build into the device.
9to5Mac's Opinion
I'm hesitant to read too much into this report, which provides only two examples from developers of how Vision Pro's privacy restrictions affect their apps. Apple put these privacy rules in place for a reason. Personally, I take comfort in the fact that no developer can access camera images from my Vision Pro.
Perhaps a better balance can be found in the long run, but I… #8217;I'm glad that we're being cautious for now.
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