Avatar Visibility Permissions for Privacy-Safe Virtual Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing avatar systems in virtual spaces pose privacy risks as they can lead to real-world identification, and controlling avatar visibility can hinder communication between users.
Innovation Solution
An avatar management system that allows users to set permissions for displaying their avatars, distinguishing between limitedly-public and public avatars, ensuring privacy while maintaining communication by transmitting appropriate avatars based on user permissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If avatar display permission is restricted to protect privacy, then user privacy is protected, but communication between users becomes difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments avatar display permissions by user relationships. The permission management unit divides the user base into different categories (family members, friends, other users) and applies different display permissions to each segment. This allows the first user to restrict avatar display to certain groups while allowing it to others, thereby protecting privacy from strangers while maintaining communication convenience with acquaintances.
2Ease of operation
If avatar is made publicly visible for communication, then communication convenience is improved, but user privacy is exposed to third parties
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by making avatar visibility property vary according to the viewer's identity. Instead of a uniform public or private setting, the avatar display permission is customized for different user groups. The permission management unit configures that the avatar is publicly visible to friends and family while remaining invisible to other users, thus achieving both communication convenience with acquaintances and privacy protection from strangers.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an avatar management system. A setting unit sets management information indicating, for each of a plurality of users different from a first user, whether the user is permitted to display a first avatar associated with the first user. A transmission unit transmits, based on the management information, an avatar of the first user to a second user terminal of a second user among the plurality of users. The transmission unit transmits the first avatar as the avatar of the first user if the management information indicates that the second user is permitted display of the first avatar. The transmission unit transmits a second avatar associated with the first user as the avatar of the first user if the management information indicates that the second user is not permitted to display the first avatar.