Google Glass users have been warned they risk breaking the law by using the devices to film people secretly. The
data privacy watchdog has told buyers of the £1,000 ‘wearable
technology’ that they could be prosecuted if they mis-use recordings, or
face fines of up to £500,000.
The
Information Commissioner's Office said wearers are effectively covered
by the same rules as CCTV cameras, meaning they cannot record people on
their glasses and show the films publicly unless they have consent.
The warning comes after the devices went on sale in Britain for the first time this week. Andrew
Paterson, senior technology officer, warned that using the recording
capability of Google Glass for anything other than personal use was
forbidden unless the wearer had given warning in advance.
Much
like a smartphone, the wearable Google Glass provides information and
recordings via a display screen inside the glasses' lens.
By
issuing the voice command 'Ok, Glass' - said to have been the
brainchild of Google co-founder Sergey Brin's new girlfriend - you can
activate it and then issue voice commands, including recording video and
taking photographs.
An early version of the device has just
been released to the UK public despite the controversy and privacy
concerns raised during its release in the U.S.
Mr
Paterson, who works for the Information Commissioner's Office, wrote
that using the technology strictly for your own use would be unlikely to
breach data privacy laws.
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