The technology behind the product is amazing, who wouldn't want to look like a secret agent from the future? What I find creepy is that Google is making it. Despite Google being a major provider in email, maps, calendar, search, and mobile technologies, they are mainly an advertising company. That means, all the data that they receive from their many services, in the end are used to better serve you ads.
With these new glasses, Google will not just be able to monitor you while you're at your computer, but it will be able to monitor you while you are walking around your house. Not only will Google be able to monitor you, but so will any government agency worldwide that issues a subpoena to Google will be able to literally see where and what you have been doing. These glasses have the ability to put the final blow to what little privacy is left on the web.
If this kind of product becomes popular, it would completely change the way people interact with each other. It could become a dash-cam for a human. Which can be good or bad. If you have a run-in with a corrupt police officer it could help your case. Although, if you accidentally record a conversation with someone and they did not consent to it, you could end up in jail.
With this kind of new technology all the good comes with all the bad, and the only one defining both ends is Google. So if this technology is used "correctly" it seems as though it will have awesome uses. However when used "wrong", it will have some very serious effects that could influent many parts of human culture.
Sources:
- http://google.com/glass
- http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415620,00.asp
I definitely agree with all of your points made, but I feel that this product wouldn't exactly be the "final blow," because it retains much of the functionality that our cell phones already have, just in a more portable, intuitive fashion. If I were walking around recording with my camera, people would notice me; if I were walking around with my Google Glass eyepiece, and everybody knows what the product is/is capable of, then wouldn't it be the same as my cell phone, just easier for me to use? This product is just getting off the ground, so we'll see what Google plans to pack into them, how affordable they are, etc.; maybe they will be a big blow to society.
ReplyDeleteBack in 2001 Google chose its slogan "Don't be evil". The information giant has gained many of its users trust and many users have ignored privacy policy changes because they believed that Google would not abuse its power. This device interacts more with the environment (i.e statistics and information about the things you look at) and could be an opportunity for Google to expand its advertising to a more personal level which may be more hidden to the user because of it being related subject matter to what they see and hear. It will be interesting to see if a privacy debate arises or if Google decides to separate immersion and advertising.
ReplyDelete