Never Miss a Moment!
April 15th was a busy day for millions; it was Tax Day, the Boston Marathon Bombing 1 year anniversary, brought the Blood Moon eclipse, and launched Illmatic XX. For a select few; however, it was a chance to be apart of tech history. The “limited quantity” of wearable technology sold for one day only at $1500 per pair to the general public. Those who were fortunate to purchase the device will join a group of “Google Explorers” who purchased the device for beta testing last year.
The face-mounted computer displays web content on a tiny screen with voice commands for picture taking, video recording, among many other functions. New Rules indeed!
It seems like recently technology have been advancing quicker than the rules can be written or adjusted. Last year Shawn Corey Carter (Jay-Z) used technology (Samsung App) to release his new album, causing the Recording Industry Association of America to change their rules. Following the release of Magna Carta Holy Grail, digital albums are now eligible for gold or platinum status from the day of release. Additionally, his wife Beyoncé released her visual album with no promotion on iTunes, the “first of its kind”. Her album showed the power of technology in sales and marketing or lack there of. Finally we recently saw the release of the “Dick Tracy” phones or watch phones, which before the Google Glass headset was considered the smallest smartphone to date.
So how will Google Glass make new rules?
1. Privacy!
Due to the proliferation of wearable technology, Google Glass like its peers, challenges privacy laws. Over 10k beta testers or “Explores” already own the device, how many Google added to that number is unknown. This is scary to non-users who are at risk of always being on surveillance. Also, it disables the ability of individuals to have candid, anonymous, or private social interactions. But the invasion doesn’t stop there, think about the sensitivity of the following settings all being recorded and stored:
- Visits to the ATM
- Office Conversations/Meetings
- Family Dinners
- Relaxing at the beach
- ER Visits
- Therapy
- Religious meetings
2. Legal
New rules would have to be written for how the “always on” data could be used in our justice system. Would law enforcement have access to the data? Also would the data be admissible in court? It is vital to ensure that government agents cannot access the data without oversight, transparency, and/or accountability. What about warrants to collect the data? Probable cause warrants should be required for all data collected by Glass. Additionally, Google Glass brings into question how the definition of harassment/pedophiles? Will it alter the definition?
3. Usage
All of the data captured by Glass, including videos, audio, photos, location data, and other sensitive personal information, is stored on Google’s cloud servers. Google will possess the data and may analyze it to develop profiles of individuals. Google currently scans the contents of emails of its Gmail users in order to target advertising, could it do the same with Glass data?
Meet Google Glass:
What it does
How it Looks
Explorer Stories
While there are major concerns, you can’t deny the fact that technology is making an effort to catch up to our imagination. Google Glass appears to be innovative and promising. While the door has closed on the second wave of explores, you can still sign up for the waiting list. If you are impatient you can always search for the hot commodity on sites like Ebay and Craigslist.
To do so and learn more about Google Glass visit: google.com/glass
Watch Roy Choi Explore!