5 Reasons Why Google Glass Is Risky

The entire world is gung-ho about Google’s augmented-reality marvel and the future is ablaze with promises; all of which may, however, not look so good.

‘Survival of the biggest;’ or at least that is the motto smartphone makers have adopted in these competition-riddled times. (An honorary mention to the makers of the Samsung Galaxy S series whose consistent efforts to ensure that those things never fit in our jeans pockets have thus far succeeded remarkably). And turning the stereotype on its head is the Google foundation, who ditched the ongoing trend of slabs in favor of one compact eyeglass, which encompasses a camera, microphone, display, touchpad as well as Internet and Bluetooth services, and which takes geek chic to a whole new level.

And yet, a recent survey revealed that only 10% of American smartphone users would opt for the Google Glass, should they be able to afford it. A concern that is being backed up the American Congress, which has raised questions regarding uncontrolled video recording and facial recognition; ones that are being echoed around the tech world. The recent release of the product has kept the ‘Stop The Cyborgs’ movement extremely busy, even as strip clubs are rolling out the ‘No Carryhome Mementos’ initiative. 

Of course, none of this will seem relevant if you happen to have some spare $1500 lying around that you’re dying to invest; but before you opt for the Google Glass, take off the rose tinted ones and have a look at what concerns are being raised by the lawmakers:

• The Google Glass has heralded a fresh chapter in modern technology, and individual privacy will be the first casualty. Unlike modern smartphones, that need to be held up at hand level and that draw a great deal of attention while recording, all Google Glass  needs is a whisper to switch to video mode, which means that you can now be filmed without you having the slightest hint.

•  What happens in the restroom stays in the restroom. Or at least, that is how things used to work in the pre-Glass era. You now unfortunately live in a period where discreet video recording is the norm, so don’t be too surprised if your last sojourn in the restroom becomes Youtube fodder. 

•  A device that sneakily records a movie and instantly uploads it to Putlocker with its Internet services? You can imagine how well that will go down with theatre owners. If romantic dates with your girlfriend as you impressed her with your new toy is what you had in mind when you first heard of Google Glass, the irate security guards at theatres and cinema halls will be only too happy to disabuse of that notion. 

• The Government has yet to crack down completely on drunken driving; a complete ban on phones while driving is still a distant dream and now Google has proposed a device that superimposes images on the wearer’s field of view. For the sake of our overworked traffic police officials, we won’t expound on the hazards presented by using this gadget on the road.

• Even before the Glass is made available to the public at large, upgrades are being worked on and detailed facial recognition capabilities are said to be in the works. Facebook is rumored to be collaborating with the Google team to create an app that enables facial recognition; which means that the wearer will be presented with the option of obtaining detailed information about a person in a matter of seconds by just looking at them. If you think our country already has its fair share of creeps and pervs, without handing them a device that doubles up as the world’s most efficient phone directory, say I. 

Having said that, we are hopeful that the company, who created this technological gem, also has a few tricks up its sleeve when it comes to ensuring that individual privacy isn’t abused. A collapsible arm that punches the wearer on the nose if he steps into perv zone sounds cool, but we’ll settle for stricter enforcement of Glass etiquette as well. 
A sentiment that was echoed by former CEO Eric Schmidt, who conceded in a recent interview, “In general, these kinds of bodywear devices will bring in a whole bunch of such concerns. It is obviously not appropriate to wear these glasses in situations where recording is not correct. And the fact of the matter is that we will have to develop some new social etiquette.”