This paper raises the possibility that VR and virtual spaces will become an important part of our daily lives due to the advancement of computer hardware, sensor technology, and artificial intelligence, and focuses on eye-tracking technology in VR environments. Eye-tracking can enhance the understanding of users’ visual attention and cognitive processes as well as hands-free interaction, but it also carries the risk of personal information leakage when combined with presented stimulus information. Therefore, this paper reviews major studies on eye-tracking, VR, and privacy from 2012 to 2022. In the eye-tracking section, the entire pipeline from pupil detection and gaze estimation to data analysis is covered, and in terms of privacy and security, the focus is on eye-based authentication and computational methods to protect the privacy of individuals and eye-tracking data. Based on this, three major research directions focusing on privacy issues are presented, and an extensive literature review on the potential of eye-tracking in VR and privacy issues is provided.