Google Glass is wearable technology developed by Google that works like a computer and is worn like a regular pair of glasses. Many felt that with the creation that came about in a beta format around 4 years ago that Google were looking to take a smartphones capabilities and evolve it even further. It was seen as a way for users to be able to access everything they needed without the need to get their smartphone out of their pocket or bag as everything was right in front of their eyes.
For all the perceived advantages to using Google Glass, there also came a lot of negatives, with a major flaw being potential privacy concerns. In fact, these privacy concerns led to the wearable technology being banned in certain areas. It was the camera that really brought these concerns to the fore as it was able to record for however long was needed, anywhere. This led cinemas for example to move to ban Google Glass from being in use in their theatres due to the ability of being able to record movies.
Google Glass users and recording became a concern for a lot of people, not just businesses where privacy was important. People simply didn’t want to be recorded walking down the street, talking to friends in a bar or while they were out for dinner at a restaurant with loved ones. It was a huge invasion of privacy and as Google Glass continued to be banned in more places, it signaled the end for the wearable technology, even at such an early stage.
Bars, clubs, restaurants and cinemas were just some of the places to prevent people wearing Google Glass to enter their premises but another that was quick to act in banning Google Glass was the casino industry. Casinos quickly moved to start banning gamblers from wearing Google Glass inside the building due to the fact they could record everything and anything, including card games. They were seen as a tool that would help people gain an advantage, not only over the house but opponents too. However, this does not apply to online casinos who are always looking for innovative ideas with some already implementing Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies into their games. It is only a matter of time until Google Glass hits the online casino world.
Land Based Casino owners and regulators felt that people could use Google Glass to work together in poker games for example. One user could video other people’s hands to then pass the information directly to a player at the table. This would lead to them instantly gaining an unfair advantage in which they would be the heavy favourite to win and walk away in profit every time. This led to security teams on site in casinos to be instructed to ask anyone they see wearing Google Glass to remove it prior to gambling.
So after a lot of promise and talk of evolving smartphones, Google Glass ultimately failed due to its own capabilities. It was seen as being capable of doing more harm than good and while wearable technology has really started to boom, it is likely never to take off in the form that Google presented when they brought Google Glass to the market, due to the serious privacy concerns.
