Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud
    • Cybersecurity

    Google Glass Says No to Facial Recognition, at Least for Now

    By
    Todd R. Weiss
    -
    June 3, 2013
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Google Glass

      Google Glass has been a hit so far for Google, but some critics argue they continue to be worried about the privacy implications surrounding the use of Glass, which is an eyewear-mounted computer that features a still camera, a video cam and other real-time recording features.

      In answer to some of those critics, Google has now pledged that it won’t approve of any facial-recognition apps that could run on Glass until strong privacy controls can be created to guard against misuse of such a feature.

      “Our Explorer Program makes users active participants in evolving Glass ahead of a wider consumer launch,” a Google spokesperson, who asked to remain anonymous, told eWEEK in a June 3 email. “In keeping with this approach, we’ve updated our developer policies to include not allowing facial-recognition Glassware at this time. We look forward to learning more from our users as we update the software and evolve our policies in the weeks and months ahead.”

      The spokesperson’s comments came after the Google Glass team posted a message announcing its stance on facial-recognition apps on the Glass Google+ page on May 31.

      “When we started the Explorer Program nearly a year ago our goal was simple: we wanted to make people active participants in shaping the future of this technology ahead of a broader consumer launch. We’ve been listening closely to you, and many have expressed both interest and concern around the possibilities of facial recognition in Glass. As Google has said for several years, we won’t add facial-recognition features to our products without having strong privacy protections in place. With that in mind, we won’t be approving any facial-recognition Glassware at this time.”

      The very first Google Glass preview units already began shipping in April to the developers who signed up at the original June 2012 Google I/O conference to buy an early set for $1,500 for testing and development. The Glass project was unveiled officially for the first time to developers at that event, where the eyewear-mounted computer was the hit of the conference.

      As more details and innovations about Glass have been released, privacy experts have been publicly sharing some of their concerns about how Glass might be detrimental to privacy as the devices begin showing up in cities and towns across the nation.

      The news that Google won’t approve any facial-recognition apps for the devices right now is “probably the right call,” said Justin Brookman, the director for consumer privacy with the Center for Democracy & Technology. “It’s definitely a concern that we have,” he said of Glass and similar technologies.

      There are actually different levels of facial recognition, he said, from simpler forms that could identify a person generically based on their gender or age range, compared with powerful facial-recognition software that can absolutely identify a person by name.

      “If I am walking by a sign with a facial-recognition reader and it identifies me as a middle-aged man and gives me an advertisement based on that profile, that may be OK, but if it identifies me as Justin Brookman, I might have a problem with that,” said Brookman. “I don’t think I’d like the idea of anyone being able to identify me by name.”

      Google Glass Says No to Facial Recognition, at Least for Now

      Such a scenario could produce safety issues for many citizens if their facial recognition were linked to their name and address, he said. “I think that is a serious concern,” said Brookman.

      Such privacy issues and concerns even extend to the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment, he said. “Would the First Amendment argue against that? We care about privacy, but we also care about free expression as well. We would have to say ‘yes’ to the First Amendment, but we have to have some abilities to protect ourselves, too.”

      Kurt Opsahl, a senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said his group is pleased with the Google policy for now, but added that it can’t stop others from developing or using facial-recognition apps on their Glass devices outside the Google Glass ecosystem.

      “If someone wanted to install their own app outside of Google, they could probably do that,” said Opsahl. “The privacy concerns come for Glass if it becomes ubiquitous. Right now, there are millions of cell phones out there but just a few Glass devices.”

      Society is ultimately going to have to decide what it feels about these kinds of technologies, he said. “I appreciate what Google is trying to do here to assuage some of the concerns with Glass. We will have to see how facial recognition is implemented in the future. It’s not about the power of the apps, but it’s about how people will use it.”

      To truly protect personal privacy with Glass, that would likely mean that users will have to take them off and put them away in social situations where it would be inappropriate to record other people, said Opsahl.

      “Facial-recognition software changes the paradigm,” he said. “Without it, people can see your face but no one could recognize you, giving you de facto privacy. With facial-recognition software, this creates the possibility that even if you would have otherwise been anonymous that it could reveal your identity. This means we are facing a future in which previously private activities are being made incredibly public.”

      This is not the first time that privacy issues involving Glass have arisen.

      A West Virginia legislator introduced a bill this past March that would have banned drivers from operating motor vehicles while wearing Glass and similar head-mounted devices, but the bill stalled and no action was taken in the last session of the state House.

      Some members of the U.S. Congress are also taking up the cause of asking lots more questions about the privacy implications of Google Glass, even before the devices are sold to the general public, according to a recent eWEEK report.

      In May, the Bi-partisan Congressional Privacy Caucus sent a letter to Google CEO Larry Page asking some pointed questions about how Google planned to ensure that the privacy of users, and more important, non-users, was being protected. The members of the caucus noted a series of stories in the media that had emerged about Google Glass, particularly the ability to find detailed information about a person just by looking at them, and letting Google perform facial recognition and then providing all available information.

      Each Google Glass device includes adjustable nose pads and a high-resolution display that Google said is the equivalent of a 25-inch high-definition screen from 8 feet away. The glasses also boast a built-in camera that takes 5-megapixel photos and video at 720p. Audio is delivered to wearers through their bones, using bone-conduction transducers that were revealed in earlier reports.

      Google Glass isn’t ready for the general public, but sales of the devices are now expected to begin sometime later this year, according to a recent eWEEK report. That’s at least months earlier than the 2014 retail debut the company had been targeting since last year, a source inside Google told eWEEK. The source would not elaborate on why the retail launch schedule is being moved up.

      Todd R. Weiss
      As a technology journalist covering enterprise IT for more than 15 years, I joined eWEEK.com in September 2014 as the site's senior writer covering all things mobile. I write about smartphones, tablets, laptops, assorted mobile gadgets and services,mobile carriers and much more. I formerly was a staff writer for Computerworld.com from 2000 to 2008 and previously wrote for daily newspapers in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm an avid traveler, motorcyclist, technology lover, cook, reader, tinkerer and mechanic. I drove a yellow taxicab in college and collect toy taxis and taxi business cards from around the world.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×