This article explains Firefox's virtual reality features and how to manage permissions for websites that ask to access your VR devices.
Allowing access to Virtual Reality (VR) devicesWebsites that feature content and can be displayed in VR will ask for access to your connected headset. Let’s say you find a 360° video or an immersive game that you want to play. If you’ve given the website permission, it can show the content right in your headset without you having to do anything such as download an app.
This service is totally optional. Firefox doesn’t allow sites to access your headset without your permission to protect your privacy. And, like all elements of Firefox, it’s being created using open standards to ease adoption by Web developers.
How does it work?When you visit a virtual reality-enabled website, Firefox will ask you if you want to allow access to your VR devices.
If you allow access to your device, Firefox will collect some information about your headset and send it to the website.
If you don't allow access, Firefox won't do anything. You may still be able to access the content in your 2D browser depending on the website’s intended experience.
If you select the checkbox to remember this decision, Firefox will always allow or always block access to your VR devices for that website without asking.
What information is being sent and to whom? How is my privacy protected?Your privacy is extremely important to us, and Firefox won’t share information about your devices or information that comes from their sensors without your permission. When you visit a page that requests your information, you’ll be asked before any information is shared with the requesting website and our third-party service provider.
By default, Firefox sends the following information related to your VR devices:
This information is exchanged over an encrypted connection to protect your privacy. Once Firefox has the information about your device, it passes it to the website that requested it. Websites use this information to render the VR environment on the headset displays properly, map controller inputs to actions, and help you stay inside your configured play area. Sharing this information with a website can increase its ability to uniquely identify you.
Granting access for VR devices allows the site to interact with the devices that the website will be able to:
Granting permission to access your VR devices doesn't provide direct access to all the sensors in the device. The following information isn't given to the website, even if it has permission to access devices:
If a website wants to access the camera or microphone on your VR device, it must request specific permission. Requests made by a website will involve asking explicitly to share the “microphone” and/or “camera”. For more information on microphone and camera permissions, see How to manage your camera and microphone permissions.
For a complete description of information collected and used by Firefox, see the Firefox Privacy Notice.
For information about what the website asking access to your VR devices does with your information, please refer to that website’s privacy policy.
How do I undo a permission granted to a website?If a website indicates to Firefox that it wants to access your VR devices, Firefox asks whether you want to grant permission by default. You can give Firefox the ability to automatically deny new permission requests to all websites without asking.
This will prevent any websites from requesting new permission to access your devices. Only websites with permission granted in the Virtual Reality Permissions settings box will have access.
How can I add support for VR content to my website?You can integrate VR support into your service by visiting the WebXR Device API page in MDN Web Docs.
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