Google Glass Is Watching You

Google wants Glass to become mainstream. Immense knowledge, always available to you, writes 17-year-old student Tessa de Vet — “but the question is for whom.”

Technological advancement has succeeded again: We are one step further. Hooray, an upgrade of the human body! No evolution with mutations, we grow together with the technology. And this time it is not Apple that shows the progress, but Google — with glasses. It is a nerdy back-to-the-future frame. May I introduce to you, if you do not already know it: Google Glass, the device that allows you never to have to take your smartphone from your bag or pocket again. Namely, the desired data appears on the glasses. Hands-free. Multi-tasking at its best. You can watch a movie while you are cycling, on the phone with your friend. During your exam you can google Kant’s categorical imperative and see if it will be raining when you step out of the classroom. No one can see if you are doing something that you are not allowed to.

You are mentally absent with these glasses. The additional reality will receive a larger role than the real world; this indeed takes place before your eyes, literally before the real reality. Conversations are more difficult when they are not online; you are constantly distracted. You do not remember people’s faces as well because of this distraction, which does not lead to socially-desired situations.

Remedy?

Google is trying to pitch Glass as a remedy for the distraction that the smartphone brings us. But how can you use something as a remedy when the use of the remedy not only stimulates this addiction but also makes it easier? No essential actions need to take place, like grabbing your phone. Google will give you BBC’s newsflash or the email that ASOS has a 20 percent discount tonight without asking! The company will not notice that you are actually online, thus the clog of unseemly behavior will disappear. There is nothing that will stop you from letting in this distraction and becoming completely isolated from reality.

I cannot but think of George Orwell’s “1984.” In this book from 1949, everything is under control of the Party, led by Big Brother. Everything is seen. The minions are indoctrinated; the historiography is adapted so that everything is in favor of the Party. Even old newspapers are adapted so that when you read them at a later time, they will be in sync with what the Party announced today. The only political party controls the soul of man.

Archive

At first glance, this dystopia seems to be far away from our civilization — but with Glass everything can be recorded and will go into Google’s archive. Maybe you are not recording anything, but who can assure you that your bystanders do not do this? Or Google itself? Recording and saving can happen without you asking for it. In this way, everything can be recorded. In “1984,” the recordings are limited to (visible) television screens and microphones placed by the Party; with Google Glass every person could make a recording of society.

Additionally, the advanced glasses can use facial recognition. Mark Zuckerberg has been said to have developed Facebook apps for Glass. What will be created: an immense database with everything you say, find and do? There are no limitations of knowledge for third parties. You are thinking: Ha, I will see it when someone is wearing those glasses. But consider that the next step is assimilation into prescription lenses. You will never know if you are being recorded or by whom. Google can also make suggestions without you asking for it. This way, it will influence your brain to a certain extent, propose ideas. A big, constant stream of one-sided information: indoctrina… You get my point.

Google wants Glass to become mainstream. The whole world should have it! Immense knowledge, always available to you! But the question is, for whom.

Future Scenario

In imitation of George Orwell, I would like to sketch an extreme scenario for you of what could happen to the world if these glasses indeed become a desired item. In this future scenario an enormous, perhaps psychotic, leader with aspirations of world domination has convinced Google to promote Glass as the World’s Next Big Thing. When the product is on the market, this leader has unlimited access to everyone. Every soul, every corner of society is available to him. Then he strikes. No one is safe. We are subjected to this new tyranny, the big brother of Big Brother. Seeing that we usually take a lot of information from the Internet and Google has immense power here; the historiography and new legislation are easily handled.

Through the combination of facial recognition, social media and GPS tracking, possible “traitors” and “rebels” will be recognized, without trouble, and detected. It will not be long before we cannot remember a world before Glass. We live according to new standards and behave accordingly because, remember: Big Brother Is Watching.