{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T20:09:27Z","timestamp":1776110967444,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,25]],"date-time":"2025-01-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1737763200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2022.09235.PTDC"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022.09235.PTDC"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/04524\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/04524\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CEECINS\/00051\/2018"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CEECINS\/00051\/2018"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Scientific Employment Stimulus","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2022.09235.PTDC"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022.09235.PTDC"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Scientific Employment Stimulus","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/04524\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/04524\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Scientific Employment Stimulus","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CEECINS\/00051\/2018"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CEECINS\/00051\/2018"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Future Internet"],"abstract":"<jats:p>As augmented reality (AR) technologies become increasingly integrated into everyday life, privacy-maintenance concerns about their capacity to capture and process sensitive visual data also increase. Visual data sanitization and obfuscation may effectively increase the privacy protection level. This study examines user perceptions of privacy protection strategies within AR environments. We developed and disseminated a questionnaire to assess users\u2019 preferences, experiences, and concerns related to visual obfuscation techniques, namely masking, pixelation, and blurring. We collected and analyzed the responses using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The results indicate that user perceptions varied based on the AR context and individual preferences. Participants identified blurring as a versatile option that provides the best aesthetic appeal. Users recognized masking as the most secure method but less visually appealing. This study also revealed that demographic factors, such as age, education, and occupation, influenced privacy concerns and the acceptance of obfuscation methods. These findings enhance the understanding of user preferences and the effectiveness of obfuscation techniques in AR. These insights can guide the development of privacy-preserving AR applications tailored to accommodate diverse user needs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/fi17020055","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,27]],"date-time":"2025-01-27T09:42:23Z","timestamp":1737970943000},"page":"55","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Assessing User Perceptions and Preferences on Applying Obfuscation Techniques for Privacy Protection in Augmented Reality"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-4169-7644","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Cassia","family":"Cruz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Science and Communication Research Center (CIIC), Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gest\u00e3o (ESTG), Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2306-7585","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rog\u00e9rio Lu\u00eds de C.","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Science and Communication Research Center (CIIC), Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gest\u00e3o (ESTG), Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6883-7996","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonel","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Science and Communication Research Center (CIIC), Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gest\u00e3o (ESTG), Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7332-4397","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos","family":"Rabad\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Science and Communication Research Center (CIIC), Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gest\u00e3o (ESTG), Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6005-288X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anabela","family":"Marto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Science and Communication Research Center (CIIC), Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gest\u00e3o (ESTG), Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5966-3218","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexandrino","family":"Gon\u00e7alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Science and Communication Research Center (CIIC), Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gest\u00e3o (ESTG), Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Orekondy, T., Schiele, B., and Fritz, M. 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