Heart and Soul: The Ethics of Biometric Capture in Immersive Artistic Performance

Biometric data plays a multifaceted role in innovative artistic endeavours. As artists continue to break new ground by integrating performers’ biometric data into live performances, others collect biometric data from audiences to measure engagement. Given the sensitive and personal nature of biometric data, particularly in relation to immersive technology, it is imperative to ethically consider how this data should be handled in performative contexts. To clarify these ethical considerations, we conducted a scoping review of sources related to immersive biometric performance in HCI, Performing Arts, and Social Sciences published over the past 30+ years. We detail how and why biometric data is being used in immersive artistic performance, identify associated ethical questions and concerns, and develop a framework of ethical considerations for artists and researchers in this space. In doing so, we emphasise an ‘ethics by design’ approach that considers values such as privacy and autonomy alongside artistic merit.