Consensual XR: A Consent-Based Design Framework for Mitigating Harassment and Harm Against Marginalized Users in Social VR and AR

Extended Reality (XR) technologies offer capacity for transformative social experience, but also the potential to exacerbate the already-prevalent interpersonal harms in social VR. While forecasting the prominence of virtual and physical harm through VR-to-AR social interaction, this paper advocates for the use of consent as a novel design framework to aid in the construction of XR technologies aimed at mitigating harm. We outline a three-step process for applying a consent lens to design of XR experiences: selecting a definition or model of consent, designing XR consent mechanics to support users in practicing consent according to said model, and assessing consent mechanics through user studies. We demonstrate the feasibility of a consent-based approach to design with a case study involving participatory design of consent mechanics in XR dating environments with women and LGBTQIA+ stakeholders.