Systems and methods for facilitating private communication between users

A server system comprising:

• a processor configured to perform operations comprising:
• receiving, from a camera, image data of a real-world gesture made by a user and identifying the real-world gesture;
• determining that the real-world gesture is directed towards a subset of users from a plurality of users in a virtual environment;
• initiating, automatically and in response to determining that the real-world gesture is directed towards the subset of users, one or more private communication channels between the user;
• generating, within the one or more private communication channels, one or more virtual gestures corresponding to the real-world gesture, wherein the one or more virtual gestures are associated with one or more meanings;
• outputting the one or more meanings visually or audibly to the subset of users within the one or more private communication channels;
• and
• outputting the one or more virtual gestures to the subset of users in the virtual environment while hiding the one or more virtual gestures from remaining users using a concealment mechanism that modifies output to one or more client devices of the remaining users by overlaying, replacing, or obscuring the one or more virtual gestures in the virtual environment such that the virtual gestures are visible only to the subset of users in the virtual environment;
• and
• a memory device coupled to the processor.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions for facilitating private communication between users, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of a computer system causes the one or more processors to carry out operations of:

• receiving, from a camera, image data of a real-world gesture made by a user and identifying the real-world gesture:
• determining that the real-world gesture is directed towards a subset of users from a plurality of users in a virtual environment;
• initiating, automatically and in response to determining that the real-world gesture is directed towards the subset of users, one or more private communication channels between the user;
• generating one or more virtual gestures corresponding to the real-world gesture, wherein the one or more virtual gestures are associated with one or more meanings;
• outputting the one or more meanings visually or audibly are output to the subset of users within the one or more private communication channels;
• and
• outputting the one or more virtual gestures to the subset of users in the virtual environment while hiding the one or more virtual gestures from remaining users using a concealment mechanism that modifies output to one or more client devices of the remaining users by overlaying, replacing, or obscuring the one or more virtual gestures in the virtual environment such that the virtual gestures are visible in the virtual environment only to the subset of users.