Google Glass Gets Even Creepier? Bad News Or Good?

Creepy technology not unique to Google.

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) is coming under fire (again) for the privacy implications of Google Glass.

On the one hand, being able to capture a photo with nothing but a wink is worryingly creepy. As is real-time facial recognition.

On The Other Hand, technology companies from LG to Microsoft to Apple are also raising privacy eyebrows. How can you prevent it happening to your business?

Robin Burks brings worrying news:

Google Glass is on a roll. … The newest update to Glass, however, includes…a photo app that lets you take a photo with just a wink.…
You wink with your right eye and Google Glass takes a photo. … If you’re just trying to flirt with someone…you might end up taking a series of photos of someone without their permission, getting once more into privacy concerns.

 So Brid-Aine Parnell explains further:

Of course, the wink-pics are bound to raise the hackles of privacy warriors, who are already concerned about the abilities of wearable tech to gather info on people without them realising.

If folks can snap images of each other with [a] wink…it becomes that much harder to tell…than if they’re saying, “OK Glass, take a picture” or fingering the side of their specs.

And Andy Greenberg adds another worry:

Since Google Glass first appeared, its potential for facial recognition has been seen either as a privacy nightmare or as one of the headset’s first truly intriguing uses. … Lambda Labs plan to release an unauthorized app for Glass that allows users to collect and catalog images of faces seen through its lens. … Lambda’s app, to be clear, isn’t meant for wide adoption.…
“Facial recognition is only going to get better, and soon you’ll be able to not only look at someone you’ve met once, but people you’ve never met before, and immediately see what you have in common,” says [Lambda's Stephen] Balaban. “You’ll be able to go to a conference and see all the engineers with Android experience or…see all the potential investors.” That’s not a prospect that pleases privacy advocates.

That sounds creepy. Only yesterday, Mike Elgan said Glass is not alone among creepy technology:

Some of the biggest trends in new technology these days are said to be “creepy.” … Opposition to Google Glass is based on the mistaken idea that the camera is recording all the time. … Who knows how your privacy might be violated?…
Too many companies creep customers out by not telling them about it or giving them control over it. Wrong! … You should strongly address both causes of that “creepy” feeling.…
Here are some more eye-opening examples, plus two important lessons for tomorrow’s business.

 Earlier, Mike also recommended that you develop a policy for wearable computing in the workplace:

Don’t look now, but here comes BYOG: “bring your own Glass.”…
It’s easy to dismiss Google Glass as an overpriced geek toy that will never go mainstream. But that would be a mistake. … Glass will never be as ubiquitous as the smartphone, but it will be mainstream. You need to start preparing now for [its] inevitable introduction…into your offices…inside the firewall.…
What are the implications…for the company’s BYOD policies? For regulatory compliance? For reputation management? … The benefits will outweigh the risks for most kinds of companies. But BYOD policies, procedures and management tools will need to be upgraded and augmented.

In fact, Mike foresaw this day, six months ago:

It’s becoming a true, proactive virtual assistant. … Once this capability is further refined and expanded, you can expect subtle nudges and reminders that guide you through your day.…
Although a face recognition feature has been disabled and banned by Google for now, it’s likely that Glass will eventually tell you the name of people you encounter, and remind you about your personal history with that person.…
Start making plans for how your business will communicate with customers who “wear” their computers, rather than carry them.

 Image credit: Sander Veenhof (cc:by)