Should We Be Afraid of Google Glass?

An anonymous reader writes "An article at TechCrunch bemoans the naysayers of ubiquitous video camera headsets, which seems like a near-term certainty whether it comes in the form of Google Glass or a similar product. The author points out, rightly, that surveillance cameras are already everywhere, and increasingly sophisticated government drones and satellites mean you're probably on camera more than you think already. 'But there's something about being caught on video, not by some impersonal machine but by another human being, that sticks in people's craws and makes them go irrationally berserk.' However, he also seems happy to trade privacy for security, which may not be palatable to others. He references a time he was mugged in Mexico as well as a desire to keep an eye on abuses of authority from police and others. 'If pervasive, ubiquitous networked cameras ultimately make public privacy impossible, which seems likely, then at least we can balance the scales by ensuring that we have two-way transparency between the powerful and the powerless.'"

Comments

Re:balancing the scales

[drinkypoo]

If you do it in the UK i'll just start a phone conversation (it might not even need a phone). I can then make a citizens arrest.

First, I'm pretty sure you need to be a person to make a citizen's arrest, not just anonymous. Second, I'm pretty sure you won't make a citizen's arrest, because you're a coward. Third, you're not entitled to privacy of your side of a telephone conversation in a public place any more than anything else that comes out of your mouth. If they were somehow using their google glass to tap your GSM traffic and record your conversation, that would be wiretapping.