Transparent Barriers: Natural Language Access Control Policies for XR-Enhanced Everyday Objects

Extended Reality (XR)-enabled headsets that overlay digital content onto the physical world, are gradually finding their way into our daily life. This integration raises significant concerns about privacy and access control, especially in shared spaces where XR applications interact with everyday objects. Such issues remain subtle in the absence of widespread applications of XR and studies in shared spaces are required for a smooth progress. This study evaluated a prototype system facilitating natural language policy creation for flexible, context-aware access control of personal objects. We assessed its usability, focusing on balancing precision and user effort in creating access control policies. Qualitative interviews and taskbased interactions provided insights into users' preferences and behaviors, informing future design directions. Findings revealed diverse user needs for controlling access to personal items in various situations, emphasizing the need for flexible, user-friendly access control in XR-enhanced shared spaces that respects boundaries and considers social contexts.

• Security and privacy → Usability in security and privacy.