Tech junkies are eagerly awaiting Google Glass to hit the shelves in 2014. The consumer version of Google’s 2nd-generation wearable voice- actions computers is due for Glass Explorers.
But here comes the legal hassle: Can you drive when your eyes are stuck to a screen? That’s what one of the testers got a ticket for in addition to another for speeding.
Lawmakers around the globe are surprisingly silent on that soon-to-be hot topic, except for West Virginia State Reprsentative Gary G. Howell. He wants to make “texting while driving using a wearable computer with head-mounted display” against the law.
Although Google Glass keeps your hands on the steering wheel and eyes up front, will lawmakers see it as a less-distracting way to drive than having your hands on a mobile phone? That’s just one legal issue we’re sure to hear about as Google Glass grows in popularity.
More legal threats could come down the line with face-scanning to spot a person later on, taking photos winking and threats of hijacking with malicious QR codes. Google Glass does all with the help of the right apps, so the question of ethical usage and privacy concerns also appears.
Google Glass could easily be seen as a threat in the corporate world and even to homeland security. It may sound far-fetched but Jerry Irvine, a member of the National Cyber Security Partnership, a joint initiative of the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is already weighing in.
“Unlike a cell phone, the device can be used in discreet ways to capture sensitive data,” he says. “People can record and photograph things without anyone around them being aware of what they are doing.”
With Google Glass currently lacking password or PIN protection, other over-the-air threats make it easy for hackers to gain access. Keyloggers and other Trojans could view images and audio at any time through the user’s device and even watch as a Google Glass user enters passwords into other devices.
“It’s important to use multiple types and layers of security solutions,” Irvine says. “Although Google Glass offers some remarkable capabilities, it also presents clear security risks.”
