“For all that’s been said about the tremendous innovations of Google Glass, privacy concerns have only grown louder since the project’s introduction last year,” Chris Welch reports for The Verge. “The Congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus today wrote a letter to CEO Larry Page asking the CEO to clear up once and for all ‘whether this new technology could infringe on the privacy of the average American.'”
Welch reports, “The caucus asks Page ”how Google plans to prevent Google Glass from unintentionally collecting data about the user’ without permission. Non-Glass wearers (i.e. those in the camera’s path) are also addressed; Rep. Joe Barton [R-Texas] and his colleagues request information on any ‘proactive’ steps Google is taking to guard their right to privacy. Potential facial recognition capabilities are also a concern; the congressmen want to know if Glass is (or will be) capable of recognizing individuals and whether the public will have a way of opting out of such analysis… Page has been asked to provide his response to the inquiry no later than June 14th.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Spywear.
Related articles:
Google Glass meets serious resistance – May 7, 2013
Eric Schmidt: Regulate civilian drones but not Google Glass – April 15, 2013
Google Glass: Orwellian surveillance with fluffier branding? – March 20, 2013
If Apple had unveiled Google Glasses… – February 25, 2013
Why Apple is working on ‘iWatch,’ not ‘iGlasses’ – February 11, 2013
Glenn Beck: Be wary of Google, they way they think is creepy (with video) – February 17, 2011
Google CEO Schmidt: If you don’t like being in Google Street View then ‘just move’ – October 28, 2010
Consumer Watchdog ads mock Google CEO Eric Schmidt (with video) – September 2, 2010
Google CEO Schmidt: Change your name to escape ‘cyber past’ – August 18, 2010
Wired: Google, CIA Invest in ‘future’ of Web monitoring – July 29, 2010
37 states join probe into Google’s questionable Wi-Fi data collection – July 22, 2010
Google Street View Wi-Fi data included passwords and email – June 18, 2010
“Spywear”, LOL!
Larry Page: “Of course Google Glass infringes on privacy. We’re Google. That’s what we do. If you don’t like us spying on you, move.”
It’s worse than spyware. It looks hideous. Wear it and you become an instant fashion victim.
I mean, can you imagine the late great Steve clipping the monstrosity onto his uber-cool Lunor Rimless Round Eyeglasses? Never. He would have curled up in fits of laughter as I suspect are everyone at Apple.
It’s gonna be a huge fail.
Damn socialist government wanting to screw with technology. If I want to video i should be able too. If you do not want to be in my video, stay at of my way.
As I do not want to be in your G-damn video, YOU get the fu*k out of my way retard.
That’s about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. If you want to video women taking showers in the locker room, is that OK? Should they be told if you don’t want to be in the video, don’t take a shower? You’re an idiot!
Your rights (to video or other wise) only go as far the the next persons rights. Your rights don’t trump someone else’s because you have new technology.
Why do you hate Apple so much? You always spread Apple FUD whenever you get a chance, and praise Google on their less than stellar “innovations”. There are other Google fan sites you can go to.
You never heard of sarcasm? I have posted several times that the first glasshole that takes a pic of my wife will be wearing that thing in his eye permanently. Gee folks, lighten up.
I got it CJ; guess the “tone” didn’t quite come through for some folks. 🙂
@RePlay
That’s quite simply because there are several people on this site who would say precisely what CJ said, but 100% mean it.
Nice Joe. Funny. Most who comment here are pretty decent. But it doesn’t take much to get the fanboys stirred up. It’s difficult to make an honest objective point without being called a troll. If you aren’t just simply gushing about everything Apple does you are targeted. I’ve probably been using stuff from Cupertino longer than most of these guys have been alive. My guess is that they don’t have much of a life so they try to defend Apple like it’s their sister. Then there are the Apple investors who have lost tons of money. Talk about irrational anger and angst! But it doesn’t bother me one bit. And I can see that it doesn’t bother you either. And it just pisses em off even more. Oh well.
GM, Get off your high horse, Your lost in your own reality trying to make yourself look superior to anyone else, your previous post history has shown you with an extreme case of Narcissistic personality disorder, now this is very common with Internet bloggers that try to prove a point by reflecting back on themselves as the want all and be all of information, it’s very sad and by far from reality that you are as important as you really think you are.
Face it GM, your not that important, really no one cares about your uneducated opinion.
But since you got this response, I can see you using it to validate your misconception and fantasy as far fetched truth of your correct demented reality.
Of course it infringes on the privacy of the average American- That’s a rhetorical question. But I guess you could argue the meaning of ‘privacy’..
On a side note, I really don’t get the press that Google Glass has received- ‘tremendous innovations’? Really? It’s a connected camera, the major limitation of which is that you HAVE to be wearing it, as eyeglasses, to use it. You can’t do anything else with Google Glass. At least with other mobile devices, you can share them, attach them to cradles, pocket them, etc, and still use them. I just don’t get it.
wear google glass, go to public toilet/gym dressing room, stream
or post to YouTube. hey, they’re ok, no privacy issues. ask google!
Asking Larry Page if Google Glass is harmless, is like asking the scorpion, if their tail is harmless.
Great analogy! I love it!
Maybe we should remind Congress about the fable about the scorpion and the frog (fox, etc)
“The Scorpion and the Frog is a fable about a scorpion asking a frog to carry him across a river. The frog is afraid of being stung during the trip, but the scorpion argues that if it stung the frog, the frog would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog agrees and begins carrying the scorpion, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When asked why, the scorpion explains that this is simply its nature. The fable is used to illustrate the view that the behaviour of some creatures, or of some people, is irrepressible, no matter how they are treated and no matter what the consequences.”
People are captured on security cams all the time. With camera phones the chances of someone taking your picture without your knowledge is high.
This is an old issue brought to the front by the blatancy of Google Glass. I suspect someone is working on an App that masks your appearance when in public.
True, but those security cameras aren’t hooked up to the world’s largest search engine, an engine that has steadily grown in the kinds of media it knows how to analyze and index.
700,000 people get laser eye surgery each year just avoid having to wear glasses. Who wants to wear glasses if you don’t need them?
Actually that’s the next big thing to be announced by Apple. The iEYE. It’s going to be announced at the WWDC. To be released by late September. It fits over your eye and is held there by suction cups. You can do everything that you can do with Google Glass and more. You can watch movies, TV shows and music videos from iTunes on a holographic screen that is projected in front of your face. Same goes for shopping on Amazon, Target, your grocery stores and any other retail needs that you have. Airline tickets? No problem. Want to see if Trader Joe’s is too busy for you? Your iEYE captures NASA satellite real-time images of Trader Joe’s parking lot. Serves as the world’s best radar detector because you can see where the cops are for the next 50 miles. Those annoying relatives are coming over? You can see them miles before they get to your driveway. Can’t find your hacksaw? No problem. iEYE will record and store whatever you have seen for the last five years. iEYE Will work with all Apple devices, all retailers and NASA. And much, much more. Talk about the next big thing!
It’s not just about privacy issues, its also about copyright issues as well. You can’t take photographs at many museums, casinos, theaters, retail stores, art exhibits (indoor and outdoor), PGA events, the list goes on. This technology, though may sound cool at first, is directly against what laws and individuals have fought for. Privacy and Piracy.
It’s pretty much accepted legal theory that if you are out in public, there is no inherent right to privacy. I can photograph in public. I can videotape in public. I can listen in public.
Google Glass seems to me to not be that much different in that respect.
“It’s not anymore an invasion of privacy than the patriot act.”
Photography and videography is completely legal in public spaces regardless of device. No-ones privacy is compromised in that situation. And just like in any private dwelling or area any image capture is at the discretion of the owners. The laws are adequate to manage GGlass.
I’m not sure if existing laws are adequate or not, but the Supreme Court ruled many years ago that no one has an expectation of privacy when out in public. So I’m pretty sure any person’s concerns about their privacy when in the vicinity of a Google Glasshole are not going to be given much legal consideration.
However, if I remember correctly, there may be a “loophole” for privacy, as the SC ruling did not give photographers carte blanche to photograph anyone and everyone without their permission… even in public… excepting under special circumstances such as news worthy events, or if they happened to be a celebrity/public figure.
Pretty certain it will take another Supreme Court ruling to deal with Google Glass. Legislative attempts to deal with it will probably be challenged on First Amendment grounds at the very least.
What a stupid question by Congress. Google main goal in life is to aggregate data from people on the internet, Android or any other Goople application used by the unsuspecting user.
Is it issued to the IRS?
Yes, that girl will never notice the guy’s Google Glasses sitting on the nightstand next to his bed…..
Googhoul glasses. Should need a government
liscense to own and use. Perhaps an agency to regulate so we can watch the watchers((Watchmen?!) watch and analyze us!
Well, it’s one thing to be captured in the background of some guy photographing his girlfriend at Disneyland, quite another to have some freak peering over your shoulder at the ATM recording your PIN.
Smith and Wesson. Never leave home without your best friends. No jamming. No cocking. No safety. No problem.
Folks, our government infringes ‘on the privacy of the average Americans’. Get off Google’s back.
Google Glass: The biggest flop of this decade.
In other words Congress, don’t worry, nobody will buy into this tech other than hardcore Android nerds so the privacy thing is a nonissue.
Carry on.
I think the technology is a part of the future. If that is Google glasses or a future version if it or from another manufacturer is to be seen. But the technology itself is interesting. And if Google glasses is “tremendous innovation” remains to be seen. Google has te capacity to identify people and photos and if that us made possible by Google or any other program privacy will probably be at risk. So goe will probably have to control what program’s can run on this and that is not in their nature. If identifying people is made possible a system to opt out would be impossible.
His ever. I think it is rather naive to ask Gogle if their product invades privacy… To them nothing they do does. But of course, we all know that their entire business rely upon infringing on people’s privacy.
Probably a but naive to ask Google itself that.